The White House is moving to scrap plans for tighter airline passenger protections first floated during the Biden era, including rules that could have forced carriers to pay travellers compensation when flights were cancelled or heavily delayed.
A government notice released on Thursday confirmed the Department of Transportation (DOT) will withdraw a proposal that had looked at requiring US and foreign airlines to offer basic services and compensation when disruptions were within the airline’s control.
A DOT spokesperson told CNN the department will continue enforcing consumer protections that are already required under federal law, such as ensuring refunds are issued if a flight is cancelled or significantly delayed and the passenger decides not to travel. They added that some of the previous proposals had gone beyond what Congress had asked for, and those will now be reconsidered.
The industry lobby group Airlines for America welcomed the rollback, saying it was pleased to see the DOT taking another look at regulations it views as unnecessary and outside the agency’s authority. The group said it hoped to work with the department on advancing Donald Trump’s broader deregulatory plans.
The push for stronger airline rules was first introduced in 2023 by then-President Joe Biden and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who also targeted hidden fees in airfares. After news of the reversal, Buttigieg commented on social media that the decision did not come as a shock.
