For Release: Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Contact: David Gillies: 202-225-5661

AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE REVIEWS CONSUMER AVIATION ISSUES

Washington - The House Aviation Subcommittee today held a hearing to review how the Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airlines and airports are meeting consumer aviation needs. DOT Inspector General (IG) Calvin L. Scovel III discussed his findings from an upcoming “after action” report that Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Costello (D-IL) requested after the painful summer travel season of 2007 and a similar hearing last September. The IG indicated that while some progress is being made, a great deal of work remains to be done to enhance customer service.

“I have pledged to hold regular hearings on consumer issues to keep a focus on what the FAA and the airlines are doing to reduce delays and better manage the passenger experience,” said Costello. “Given the recent statistics showing that 2007 was one of the worst years on record for delayed flights and lost baggage, all sectors of the industry must redouble their efforts to make the system work more efficiently, and the IG’s testimony underscores this need. The Senate needs to pass its version of FAA reauthorization legislation so we can get that bill to conference, enact a final version and begin the process of modernizing our air transportation system and adding consumer protections.”

The Aviation Subcommittee held three hearings in 2007 examining consumer aviation issues. H.R. 2881, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, which Costello co-authored and which passed the House last September, includes important consumer aviation provisions, such as requiring airlines and airports to file emergency contingency planes regarding how they will deal with long tarmac delays and requiring the DOT to provide information regarding delayed flights.

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