NBTA Congratulates U.S. Transportation Department
New Rule Limits Airline Tarmac Delays to Three Hours
DECEMBER 22, 2009 - The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) - the voice of the business travel industry - today applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for issuing a new rule that establishes a three-hour time limit after which U.S. airlines are required to permit passengers to deplane delayed domestic flights. The new rule also requires carriers to provide food and potable drinking water within two hours of a tarmac delay.
NBTA Executive Director & COO Michael W. McCormick said: “NBTA congratulates the Department of Transportation for standing up for airline passengers who are stranded in extended tarmac delays. After years of advocating private sector solutions for this problem, NBTA endorsed federal legislation in August to provide passengers with basic standards of customer service in these infrequent but unacceptable situations.
With legislation drafted by Senators Olympia Snowe and Barbara Boxer stalled due to broader fights over the FAA Reauthorization bill, DOT has showed great leadership in issuing landmark regulations to protect passengers and accomplish one of NBTA's main policy goals.”
The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world's premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates - NBTA Asia Pacific, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Mexico and NBTA USA - serve a network of more than 15,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 4,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$200 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 10 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org.
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