Appeals Court Strikes Down NY's Passenger 'Bill of Rights'

A New York law, known as the airline “passenger bill of rights,” was rejected today by a US appeals court, Bloomberg reports. The measure required airlines to provide food and water when their delayed plane has sat on the tarmac for more than three hours. The court said it was pre-empted by a 1978 statute to decrease federal regulation of airlines.

New York's law would encourage a wave of special consideration legislation in other states, the appellate court ruled, such as a “law prohibiting the service of soda,” “requiring allergen-free food options on its outbound flights” and so on. An airline trade group agreed, saying, “a patchwork of laws by states and localities would be impractical and harmful to consumer interests.'' (More Air Transport Association stories.)