Two U.S. House Democrats proposed a measure that would make it illegal for airlines to offer flights when they know they don't have enough staff.
: Reps. Jan Schakowsky and David Cicilline proposed making it unlawful for airlines to offer flights if they know they don't have sufficient staffing, or to cancel flights close to scheduled departures,The two Congress members said the measure would give the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general new powers to act.
The measure would repeal an existing exemption that passenger airlines received from under a 1958 law.: "Stronger enforcement of the airline industry is urgently needed," Schakowsky said, per Reuters. "The airline industry must be held accountable for the harm they are causing: the missed life events, time separated from family and friends, and the stress of navigating a travel system that isn’t putting consumers first," she added.The Department of Transportation last week proposed new protections for travelers, including requiring airlines to provide vouchers that don't expire to passengers unable to fly for pandemic-related reasons.