[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

The Department has proposed regulations requiring airlines to adopt contingency plans for lengthy tarmac delays and to incorporate these plans in their contract of carriage,

If such Executive action (or order), as referenced above, came to pass it will be interesting to see who, if anyone, in Congress would try to over-turn this. What is very significant is that we're now past the point of "requesting." We're into "requiring."

It will be very interesting to see how future tarmac delays are handled. What remains to be addressed is the issue of incoming international flights which are diverted. In the case of the latter, I would be surprised if someone could come-up with a rule which says if you land at an airport where Customs And Border Patrol staff are stationed that passengers can not, at least, be allowed to de-plane and remain on the "airside" of the Customs check-point.

And, yes, I was wrong about Continental and/or Express Jet--in this instance. I know I said something negative about Express Jet. Can't remember if Continental was included, but they could have been. Needless to say, however, you can expect me to cut and paste that Continental statement the next time a Continental (mainline) tarmac delay turns to s**t, and the blame can't be shifted onto someone else.