Profits Over Passengers--Airline Passengers Bill of Rights Struck Down

Does anyone enjoy flying anymore? Have you been a passenger stranded for hours on runways due to weather and not allowed to deplane? Well, suck it up.

Those experiences were part of what led to New York's Passenger's Bill of Rights Law, the first of its kind in the nation. Today, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (controlling law in federal appeals from NY, CT and VT) ruled invalid the New York law which requires airlines to provide food, water, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers trapped in a plane delayed on the ground.

The Court held that the law interferes with federal law governing the “price, route or service “of an air carrier, and the states are powerless to protect passengers at local airport, even though the airline is not providing the promised service or basic comforts. While this case could be taken up by the US Surpeme Court, no one should expect anything but a business-friendly result from the current Court. Air Transport Association v. Cuomo, 07-5771, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.