After nearly a year of studying and planning, the National Task Force to Develop Model Contingency Plans to Deal with Lengthy On-Board Ground Delays issued its report on what can be done to mitigate such events and largely came up empty. The 62-page report issued no firm recommendations except that airports, the FAA, airlines and other stakeholders develop contingency plans to cope with lengthy airport and on-board delays. Indeed, the Tarmac Task Force report, by which it is known, seems overly complex, even as it relies on three main, common-sense ingredients – communications, food/hydration, clean environment/special services.

The report issued guidelines on how airports and airlines can develop contingency plans and who should be involved but it then leaves it up to the two entities to decide whether or not to abide by them, meaning they can be ignored. The Task Force couldn’t even define lengthy delay. Task Force recommendations included quarter hour updates on delays, a secure room so international passengers do not have to be rescreened; when practical, the availability of refreshments and entertainment aboard aircraft; and the suggestion that airlines “make every reasonable effort” to keep lavatories usable.

The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) Vice President of Regulatory Affairs Melissa Sabatine said that many of the suggestions made in the Task Force report were already under implementation by many airport operators. “The process of addressing lengthy delays and other customer service issues must include communication between all parties and give airport operators flexible options,” she said. “As discussions on this topic continue, a key consideration for individual airports will be how to address costs and personnel associated with irregular operations. The Task Force document will be a useful tool for airports as they continue to develop their plans.”

But the report did nothing to molify consumer groups, chief among which is the Coalition for a Passengers Bill of Rights, founded in the wake of lengthy delays during a weather event at American. “Today's vote by the Tarmac Task Force was an insult to airline passengers by the airline industry and the Bush Administration, which stacked the deck in their favor, giving the industry and its allies 34 out of the 36 votes on the Task Force,” charged Kate Hanni, who served on the Task Force, adding the report says nothing about requiring airports and airlines to provide additional services to stranded passengers. “Hopefully the incoming Obama Administration can cause meaningful passengers' rights legislation to be passed, either through Congress or a newly appointed Department of Transportation. Today's vote approved a model plan that does not address the airlines' ability to hold passengers against their will in a sealed tube on the tarmac for an indefinite period of time, and contains no requirements that they provide food, water, sanitary toilets or even temperature control.”