Statement of Kate Hanni Regarding DOT 'Tarmac Task Force'

Head of Flyersrights.org Says Bush Administration "Stacked the Deck,"

Calls Task Force Report "Insult to airline passengers"

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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. 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.

"It's tragic to take ten months and thousands of donated coalition dollars, to work with the best and the brightest from the commercial aviation industry, and not come up with a way to get people out of those metal tubes," said Kate Hanni.

The Coalition has 24,000 members and is the largest non-profit airline passengers rights Coalition in the world. We are joined by Consumer's Union, Public Citizen, Consumer Federation of America, USPirg, NSL, ACAP, IAM AND NATCA. Kate Hanni 707-337-0328 or www.flyersrights.org. Kate@flyersrights.com directly. Coalition Hotline: 1-877-359-3776

For further information or to book or interview Kate Hanni, email Mike Collins Public Relations at mikecollinspr@cox.net or call us at 202-494-6105.