Stock Market News

U.S. states ask Congress for more airline oversight authority

2022.08.31 22:58

U.S. states ask Congress for more airline oversight authority
FILE PHOTO: Passengers enter a security checkpoint before their flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport ahead of the Fourth of July holiday in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., July 1, 2022. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. states and federal agencies should have new powers to investigate airline passengers complaints, a bipartisan group of 36 state attorneys general said Wednesday sharply criticizing air carriers https://www.naag.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Airline-Accountability-Consumer-Protection-Letter-Packet.pdf and the Transportation Department (USDOT).

Passenger airlines are exempt from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) oversight and most state investigations for consumer complaints under a 1958 law. The state attorneys general are asking Congress to pass legislation granting them new authority to hold air carriers accountable.

In a letter to Congress led by Republican Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Democratic Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and also signed by the District of Columbia and Guam, the states said they have received thousands of complaints from outraged airline passengers, and have relayed them to USDOT but seen little action.

“Americans are justifiably frustrated that federal government agencies charged with overseeing airline consumer protection are unable or unwilling to hold the airline industry

accountable and to swiftly investigate complaints,” the letter said.

A spokesperson for Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg did not immediately comment. Buttigieg has been pressing airlines to improve consumer service and told Reuters earlier this month that USDOT had completed 10 airline investigations and is pursuing enforcement actions.

Airlines for America, a group representing major airlines, did not immediately comment.

The states encouraged Congress “to consider shifting the authority for federal investigations of patron complaints concerning airlines from the USDOT to an agency more primarily focused on consumer protection” like the FTC or the Justice Department.”

Airlines, which received $52 billion in pandemic bailout assistance, have been criticized for slow refunds. “The airline industry has failed their customers,” the letter said.

Earlier this month, two key U.S. House Democrats proposed making it unlawful for airlines to offer flights if they know they lack sufficient staff or to cancel flights close to scheduled departures because of foreseeable staffing issues. Representatives Jan Schakowsky and David Cicilline proposed giving the FTC and state attorneys general new powers to act.

“Stronger enforcement of the airline industry is urgently needed,” said Schakowsky. “The airline industry must be held accountable for the harm they are causing.”

Source

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button
bitcoin
Bitcoin (BTC) $ 76,050.38 1.50%
vested-xor
Vested XOR (VXOR) $ 3,405.08 99,999.99%
ethereum
Ethereum (ETH) $ 2,918.54 4.01%
tether
Tether (USDT) $ 1.00 0.06%
solana
Solana (SOL) $ 203.51 8.91%
bnb
BNB (BNB) $ 596.81 0.45%
usd-coin
USDC (USDC) $ 1.00 0.09%
xrp
XRP (XRP) $ 0.550766 0.34%
dogecoin
Dogecoin (DOGE) $ 0.197161 2.81%
staked-ether
Lido Staked Ether (STETH) $ 2,920.22 4.05%
cardano
Cardano (ADA) $ 0.435147 17.27%
tron
TRON (TRX) $ 0.16144 0.41%
wrapped-steth
Wrapped stETH (WSTETH) $ 3,457.61 4.11%
the-open-network
Toncoin (TON) $ 4.91 0.67%
avalanche-2
Avalanche (AVAX) $ 28.21 5.41%
shiba-inu
Shiba Inu (SHIB) $ 0.000019 1.51%
wrapped-bitcoin
Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) $ 75,958.35 1.46%
weth
WETH (WETH) $ 2,920.31 4.19%
chainlink
Chainlink (LINK) $ 13.02 6.12%
bitcoin-cash
Bitcoin Cash (BCH) $ 372.89 1.11%
sui
Sui (SUI) $ 2.30 1.76%
polkadot
Polkadot (DOT) $ 4.29 5.29%
leo-token
LEO Token (LEO) $ 6.30 1.13%
usds
USDS (USDS) $ 0.993802 0.23%
wrapped-eeth
Wrapped eETH (WEETH) $ 3,071.78 4.07%
litecoin
Litecoin (LTC) $ 71.36 0.46%
uniswap
Uniswap (UNI) $ 8.76 2.03%
near
NEAR Protocol (NEAR) $ 4.25 2.51%
aptos
Aptos (APT) $ 9.70 1.16%
pepe
Pepe (PEPE) $ 0.000011 4.01%
bittensor
Bittensor (TAO) $ 500.68 3.47%
internet-computer
Internet Computer (ICP) $ 7.76 0.50%
fetch-ai
Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET) $ 1.40 1.09%
dai
Dai (DAI) $ 0.999234 0.24%
ethereum-classic
Ethereum Classic (ETC) $ 20.25 1.65%
monero
Monero (XMR) $ 163.82 0.24%
stellar
Stellar (XLM) $ 0.101167 2.90%
crypto-com-chain
Cronos (CRO) $ 0.112434 30.95%
ethena-usde
Ethena USDe (USDE) $ 1.00 0.16%
polygon-ecosystem-token
POL (ex-MATIC) (POL) $ 0.368125 7.83%
kaspa
Kaspa (KAS) $ 0.112755 4.56%
whitebit
WhiteBIT Coin (WBT) $ 19.55 1.16%
aave
Aave (AAVE) $ 182.72 1.35%
blockstack
Stacks (STX) $ 1.66 0.31%
okb
OKB (OKB) $ 40.12 0.63%
dogwifcoin
dogwifhat (WIF) $ 2.36 1.55%
first-digital-usd
First Digital USD (FDUSD) $ 0.99932 0.01%
arbitrum
Arbitrum (ARB) $ 0.57305 0.19%
filecoin
Filecoin (FIL) $ 3.72 0.31%
mantle
Mantle (MNT) $ 0.657982 3.98%