In a landmark development for travellers in the US, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed the bipartisan Senate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 on February 8, setting new standards for airlines in the country.
- The bill means that airlines will need to provide compensation for delays under broader conditions than previously. This includes cases in which passengers who have bought a non-refundable ticket and whose flight is delayed by more than three hours or cancelled, being entitled to a full refund.
- It will also allow airline vouchers to be protected for up to five years.
- Additionally, airlines will no longer be able to charge extra fees for families who want to sit together on flights.
- Any airline found to violate consumer rights will be subject to a fine up to three times higher than previously.
The main focus of the new Reauthorization Bill is safety. The bill comes at a time when safety is increasingly under the spotlight, after several recent high-profile incidents, including the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 flight in which a door plug panel blew off mid-flight.
- The new bill will ramp up FAA safety inspections at factories by adding additional staff and allocating US$67,5 billion (R1,26 trillion) to new safety programmes.
