In the summer of 2007, there were news reports that commercial jets were occasionally stuck for hours waiting to depart.
Government responded heroically. The Obama Administration decreed that if passengers on a plane are stuck on the tarmac for more than three hours, the carrier is liable for a fine of $27,500 per passenger.
Now, however, a study finds a sharp increase in flight cancellations.
“[P]assengers who might have waited four hours to take off may find themselves waiting even longer to catch another flight. They may be stuck at airports far from home, sitting or sleeping on the floor. They may miss connecting flights.”
They may also incur expenses for food, lodging and other needs. Some of them won’t ever get where they planned to go, because the delay renders the trip pointless.
