Senator Kemp Hannon was recently honored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County with the 2007 "Friend" Recognition award for his dedicated support of health initiative programs. Pictured, from left, are Senator Hannon, chair of the Senate Health Committee; Nancy Youngfert, president, Cornell Cooperative Extension; and Kathy Rau, executive director, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
With winter break fast approaching, travelers will be pleased to know the Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights is in effect, since Jan. 1, 2008, to provide passengers stranded on airplanes at New York airports with basic amenities to make their wait more tolerable. Under the legislation, all airlines at New York airports are required to provide snacks and water, fresh air and power, and working restrooms for passengers on planes that leave the gate and sit on the tarmac for more than three hours. "New York is home to some of the world's busiest airports, and in enacting this new law, we have taken the lead in protecting the rights of passengers," Senator Kemp Hannon said. "This first-in-the-nation law will ensure that stranded passengers are treated with respect by the airlines that serve our airports and are not held hostage on delayed flights without basic amenities." On Valentine's Day 2007, thousands of passengers on several JetBlue Airways flights were stranded aboard planes at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in Queens, some for up to 10 hours, during a snow and ice storm. On March 17, a daylong ice storm forced other airlines to strand hundreds more passengers on jets at JFK for hours. Passengers onboard these planes complained of no food or water, overflowing toilets and no ventilation. The measure also includes creation of an Office of Airline Consumer Advocate within the New York State Consumer Protection Board to provide the public with a New York State-based consumer advocate to help coordinate with appropriate airline industry officials, federal agencies and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the event an incident occurs. The Airline Consumer Advocate would refer any violations of the new law to the New York State Attorney General's Office, who could seek a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per passenger per violation by an airline.
