Washington Wire: FAA Proposes Safety Fines For US Airways, United

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration this month proposed a $5.4 million penalty against US Airways and a $3.8 million penalty against United Airlines for flying aircraft that did not comply with federal safety standards. FAA claims that from October 2008 to January 2009 US Airways operated eight aircraft on a combined 1,647 flights that violated airworthiness directives, and United between February 2008 and April 2008 operated a Boeing 737 on more than 200 flights in violations of safety procedures for the aircraft's engine. US Airways in a statement said it completed this year a comprehensive review of its maintenance programs with FAA.

DOT Chides Carriers On Lost Baggage Compensation
The U.S. Department of Transportation this month warned that some carriers' policies that promise reimbursement only for passengers who purchase necessities for luggage lost on the outbound leg of their trip run afoul of a DOT mandate that requires carriers to compensate passengers up to $3,300 for items they purchase when their luggage is lost or delayed. "This is in violation of DOT regulations," the DOT Aviation Enforcement Office told airlines in an Oct. 9 advisory. DOT instructed carriers to examine and amend their polices, and said it would continue to "monitor carriers' compliance and take enforcement action." Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "Travelers should not have to pay for toiletries or other necessities while they wait for baggage misplaced by airlines." DOT last month fined Spirit Airlines a record $375,000 for violating a number of consumer regulations, including denied boarding compensation and fare advertising rules. "Spirit also was found to violate DOT rules by providing compensation for delayed baggage only for the outbound leg of round-trip flights and only for purchases made more than 24 hours after arrival," DOT noted.

U.S. Travel Promotion Act Nears Final Passage
The U.S. Travel Promotion Act of 2009, which would create a federal organization to promote the United States as a destination for business travel, meetings and tourism and passed the U.S. House of Representatives this month 358-66, following the Senate's 79-19 approval in September. Final passage would create a nonprofit entity—essentially a national convention and visitors bureau—called the Corporation for Travel Promotion, with a mission to promote the United States through advertising, outreach and education. Half of the program's funds would come from private industry donations and partnerships, and half would be funded by charging visitors to the United States from visa-waiver countries $10 for travel authorization. The bill caps at $100 million annually the amount funded from foreign travelers. The effort sparked protest from the European Union, which counts 22 of the 35 countries in the program. E.U. representatives raised the possibility of a similar fee on U.S. travelers bound for Europe.