We do have the authority to impose laws on foreign carriers while their aircraft are on US soil. In fact, the time limit rule is in place for them as well, except it's 4 hours, not 3. I understand needing extra time with an international flight as you would need to get customs in place, but I would think this could still be done in a 3 hour period. The extra time would only be needed at an airport that doesn't have round the clock customs or regular customs operations.
This three hour time rule is really starting to wreak havoc but it's what people get. I've talked to some of my old friends at the airport, and here's the problem. Being in central Florida we have daily afternoon storms. And with it lots of lightning. Keep in mind too that our weather patterns are different than in most places in that it can be perfectly clear now, storming like a you know what 2 hours from now for a 2-4 hours, and clear again an hour after that. So what is happening is a plane will be boarded up and ready to go, only to have the ramp close due to lightning, and as such the rampers can't go push the plane. So the plane sits at the gate. But after about 1 to 1 1/2 half hours into it, they have to deplane since keeping them on may run into the three hour rule not knowing when the lightning will let up. The lightning might let up for about 10 minutes, and normally they could go ahead and push the plane, except now they have to reboard. There goes your window to push. Now people start missing connections.
And if it's a flight later in the day, there is a chance of the flight crew timing out. Now you have a canceled flight. And since it's caused directly by the weather, no hotel rooms for when you get stuck overnight, unless you pay for it.
Wait, some time ago didn't I say this would lead to cancelations????
But that's what you get when some idiot like Kate Hanni who just knows so much better than the people who work it daily gets her little way.
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