Even a Pilot Thinks It’s Time to Crack Down on Airlines

NY Times:

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Even a Pilot Thinks It’s Time to Crack Down on Airlines
By JOE SHARKEY
Published: July 10, 2007

AIRLINE pilots tend to be independent, cantankerous and genetically disinclined to welcome additional regulation of their profession, which they already think is overregulated.

So it’s probably not good news for domestic airlines that a pilot like Vance Atkinson, 64, who spent 30 years flying for a major airline, is saying it’s now time for the federal government to do something about the increasing number of passengers being stranded on parked airplanes for long periods during bad weather or other delay-inducing events.

“There is not going to be an easy answer, but a start is to have hard and fast rules,” said Mr. Atkinson, who retired from a major airline at the mandatory age of 60 and now flies corporate jets. “The government needs to say, three hours,” he said, and then allow passengers off a stranded plane. More...

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The Times has been beating the drum on this for months. I have a news alert set up for "air traffic control" and I get an alert almost every Sunday when the Travel section is published.