[GA, passed] - Airline Safety And Comfort Disclosures

Airline Safety And Comfort Disclosures
Category: Regulation | Area of Effect: Transportation
Proposed by: Simone Republic | Onsite Topic​

The World Assembly (WA),

Noting that air travel is crucial to many WA states;

Believing that travelers deserve to be fully informed on aircraft safety and comfort to make better decisions, such as whether offers of cheap fares should be weighed against exorbitant charges for toilets;

The WA hereby enacts as follows:

1. Definitions.
   • "Aircraft" means any airplane, helicopter, or similar objects defined as such by the International Aero-Space Administration (IASA).
   • "Airport" means commercial airports, aerodromes, heliports and similar facilities.
   • "Carrier" means the operator of a regulated flight (defined below). This includes the operator as well as any lessors, charterers, and owners of the aircraft.
   • "Flag state" means the WA state to which the aircraft is registered.
   • "WA organs" means any of the committees of the WA.
2. Scope. Clauses (3) to (7) apply to “regulated flights” only. “Regulated flight” is defined as any flight by an aircraft that means all of the following criteria:
   • It is operated for purely civilian purposes, excluding any humanitarian transport and also excludes any flights travelling under the flag of WA organs;
   • It is operating a regularly timetabled route that involves embarking or disembarking at an airport under the jurisdiction of a WA state; and
   • It is operated for profit (or for the benefit of the carrier). This includes flights such as those exchanged using loyalty programs, or such as those transferring employees between work sites, and flights operated by a government (or a government-owned entity) for the benefit of its inhabitants, even if such flights are free-of-charge.
3. Methods of disclosure. All disclosures under clauses (4) to (7) must be:
   • specific to each regulated flight and to the particular aircraft used;
   • up-to-date at all times;
   • available through convenient physical and electronic means;
   • available free-of-charge;
   • available in all languages customarily used in WA states served by that regulated flight.
4. Non-WA flag states. If a regulated flight plans to travel through international or non-WA airspace, the carrier must also disclose and inform passengers of any major differences, versus the WA state to/from the airport the flight serves, in:
   • laws where relevant, such as rights to sapient individuals, and penalties for criminal offenses committed in flight;
   • the customary cultural, religious, and other practices of the flag state;
   • Terms used and definitions, especially terms which may differ in meaning between states, such as if "in-flight meals" refer to "passengers getting served food" or "passengers getting served as food".
5. Aircraft safety. Each carrier is to disclose full records regarding:
   • The type, specifications, and maintenance records of that particular aircraft, including the engines and other key parts used in that aircraft;
   • The experience and training of all officers serving on that flight, on an anonymous basis;
   • Compliance with all applicable regulations and directives;
   • Specifications on fixtures and fittings, such as seat pitch.
6. Aircraft service and comfort. Each carrier is to disclose full details regarding:
   • Goods and services provided on board and the prices charged;
   • Options for in-flight meals, including whether such meals comply with various dietary restrictions, and whether such foods involve ingredients derived from cannibalism;
   • Boarding, seating and baggage arrangements;
   • Regular and planned alternative travel routes of the flight, and punctuality records;
   • Policies for passengers' behavior;
   • Policies on flight delays, cancellations, overbookings, and forced deplaning of passengers;
   • Policies for passengers with special needs.
7. Refunds and rebookings.
   • If a carrier needs to change the type of aircraft on a regulated flight prior to boarding, or make major changes to the levels of safety and service offered, it must offer a full refund or free rebooking of that portion of the journey to any passengers that do not desire such changes, regardless of whether the passenger paid for the trip.
   • A carrier must offer reasonable assistance in rebookings and arranging for alternatives, regardless of whether the passenger paid for the trip.
8. Jurisdiction.
   • The IASA is to develop model disclosure guidelines for authorities that wish to adopt uniform standards of disclosures.
   • Each WA state shall designate at least one entity to be responsible for enforcement and interpretation of this resolution, depending on the governance structure of that state.

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• Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
• Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
• Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
• Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.

Fregerson:

For, though I think points 4 and 5 should be applied to charters as well.

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