State To Get Airline Passenger ‘Bill of Rights'

New York is the first state in the nation with an airline passenger "bill of rights," as Governor Spitzer yesterday approved legislation that requires airlines to provide basic services on delayed flights. For flights leaving from New York airports, airlines must now provide water, food, and fresh air on flights delayed on airport tarmacs for more than three hours. The legislation also created a new state agency, the Office of the Airline Consumer Advocate, to monitor compliance with the new rules and investigate complaints from travelers.

The law comes more than five months after hundreds of passengers at John F. Kennedy International Airport were left waiting in planes for up to 10 hours on the tarmac during a winter storm.