The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) - the voice of the business travel industry - applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for levying penalties against airlines for their roles in causing passengers to remain onboard an aircraft at Rochester (MN) International Airport for an unreasonable amount of time on August 8, 2009.

Michael W. McCormick, NBTA Executive & COO, said, “We are pleased to see the United States government taking a stand against incidents that put the health of travelers at risk. These precedent-setting enforcement actions aim to punish airlines for extended tarmac delays and serve as a reminder to the aviation community that passengers’ rights must be respected.”

The Aviation Enforcement Office’s investigation found that all carriers involved violated a law that prohibits unfair and deceptive practices in air transportation for their respective roles in the incident, in which passengers were stranded on an aircraft for approximately six hours following a diversion due to inclement weather.

Following the incident, NBTA announced it is backing strong passenger rights legislation, throwing its support behind the Snowe-Boxer language included in the Senate FAA bill, S1451, FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act.

McCormick continued, “NBTA applauds DOTs commitment to use what it has learned in this particular investigation to strengthen the rights of travelers who may be subjected tarmac delays in the future. We look forward to working with Congress to pass legislation that will respect the basic humanity of passengers.”