Hearing for proposed bill increasing airline passenger rights

OLYMPIA — Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D- Seattle, introduced Senate Bill 6269 to provide airline passengers with the same assurances of food, water, ventilation and sanitary facilities that are now available to travelers passing through New York's airports.

“Inspiration for this bill came from my own experience of sitting on a runway for four hours,” said Jacobsen. “Right now, passengers have no recourse when the airlines leave them stranded, or make them sit on a tarmac for hours without food or water, or lose their luggage. Airline passengers deserve some basic rights.”

Kate Hanni, the founder of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, CAPBOR, will attend the hearing on Tuesday to discuss how these issues are being addressed (or not) by the federal government and by other states.

Hanni gained national prominence after a horrifying and well-publicized nine hour stranding ordeal on an American Airlines jet in Dallas in December of 2006.

 “Senator Ken Jacobsen is a friend to all airline passengers in Washington State and in the nation. He clearly understands that the federal government is moving too slowly and something must be done at the state level to protect the health and safety of the flying public,” said Hanni. “It takes a great deal of courage to combat the airlines — thank you Senator Jacobsen.”

Testimony regarding the bill will be heard at 1:30 p.m., on Tuesday, January 22nd before the Senate Consumer Protection & Housing Committee, in Senate Hearing Room 3 of the J.A. Cherberg Building.

Return to Sen. Jacobsen's home page