By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A group of 18 Democratic senators urged the Trump administration to reconsider its intention to drop a plan by the prior administration to require airlines to pay
passengers cash compensation when flight disruptions are caused by carriers.
In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation under then-President Joe Biden sought public comment in a regulatory proceeding about whether airlines should be required to pay up to $775 per passenger for delays that they cause.
USDOT announced last month it planned to drop the compensation plan, and is considering rescinding Biden regulations requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose service fees alongside airfares.
"This is a common-sense proposal: when an airline’s mistake imposes unanticipated costs on families, the airline should try to remedy the situation by providing accommodations to consumers and helping cover their costs," said the letter signed by Democratic Senators Maria Cantwell, Ed Markey, Ron Wyden, Kirsten Gillibrand, Jack Reed, and others.
A spokesperson for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy did not immediately comment on Tuesday but said previously some rules proposed or adopted under Biden "went beyond what Congress has required by statute, and we intend to reconsider those extra-statutory requirements."
The department is also planning to reduce regulatory burdens on airlines and ticket agents by writing new rules detailing the definition of a flight cancellation that entitles consumers to ticket refunds, as well as revisiting rules on ticket pricing and advertising.
Airlines have pushed the Trump administration to go further and praised the action to rescind the Biden plan. USDOT has taken other steps to reverse Biden's airline consumer efforts.
In May, the Justice Department dropped a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines filed by the Biden administration in its final days that accused the carrier of illegally operating chronically delayed flights.
(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Rod Nickel)
