how long can an airline legally hold passengers on a grounded plane?

Answer 1

well of course, that's the big question these days. Sad answer: there is no limit. That's why several congressmen including one from California named Thompson are proposing a "passengers bill of rights". Because without it, airlines can make their own decisions which they say are based on safety but often are based mostly upon their own profit/loss decisions. I understand they are running a business, not a charity...but if they won't "police their own" by agreeing that it is never acceptable to keep people in a plane on a runway with no movement either back to gate and unload or taking off within 4 hours...that's a long enough time to be captive in the plane. I've been there 4 hours...and it's murder. I feel horrible for people who've been stuck 6 to 11 hours....

Answer 2

That became into an severe project and the information teach that aired it final evening incredibly did an over-the-precise presentation; very one-sided! in many circumstances the place passengers are caught on planes on the floor for long sessions of time, that is because of the fact there is nowhere to sell off them. that is particularly straightforward for a airplane to push lower back from the gate and have its spot taken by ability of yet another airplane only approximately on the instant. as quickly as you're on the taxi-way, if there is not any empty gate, you have nowhere for passengers to sell off from. you ought to continually attempt to apply the emergency slides yet those are particularly risky; to boot, there remains nowhere to park the airplane to enable human beings get out that way. Plus if the airplane is in a position to take off, unloading the airplane would reason much greater delays; in case you're waiting on the taxi-way the pilot can take off while there is even a 5 minute harm in the climate. in case you bypass lower back to the gate, you will need time to get all people off the airplane, then greater time to get all of them lower back on. In at once changing climate, that postpone is going to reason the pilot to miss the fast harm in the climate. have self assurance me--- airlines and pilots do no longer prefer you to be on that airplane from now on than you're able to be. If the circumstances enable passengers to be unloaded, they are. however the circumstances do no longer continually enable for this.

Answer 3

As long as they want to. I think Boxer in CA has introduced legislation to get an hour limit defined for this. There is no set law.

Answer 4

as long as it takes to ensure safety