Airlines want exemption from law, advocacy group not happy

Both Delta Air Lines and JetBlue have asked the Department of Transport for an exemption for the new law which stipulates that airlines must limit the amount of time passengers spend on the tarmac.

Set to go into effect on the 29th of April the new law, which sees carriers face big fines if broken, has already seen airlines trying to work around it - and an advocacy group is not happy.

Quick to respond, the FlyersRights organisation has moved to request that the government turn away any suggestions by airlines to skirt around the right of the consumer.

Delta and JetBlue are claiming that the closure of the main runway at New York's John F. Kennedy airport is its main concern, saying that delays caused by gridlock at JFK's only runway shouldn't be their onus.

But Kate Hanni, FlyersRights.org Founder , says, "Rather than forcing consumers to change their plans by imposing multi-hour delays on them due to some construction at JFK, the commercial airlines should change their operations and scheduling to adjust to temporarily lessened airport capacity."

"The construction at JFK has been in the works for some time - and improvement projects are a natural fact of life at major airports - we expect the DOT to enforce the 3 hour rule at JFK and for all airlines to fully comply with it."

She adds that this move by airlines to try to find loopholes, and before the law even comes into effect, is further proof of "their continued hostility to consumers".