PIA Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays in USA

[Abbas Ali]

Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays

Introduction

PIA is committed to providing industry standard service on every flight we operate. The Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays describes what PIA will implement during a lengthy tarmac delay in accordance with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. PIA’s plan is available at the carrier’s website: http://www.piac.com.pk

Consistent with DOT regulations, PIA’s Plan covers all scheduled flights operating to and from U.S. PIA’s goal is to make every flight a safe and pleasant experience for our customers. PIA’s Plan will be activated during times when customers on these flights are experiencing irregular operations involving a lengthy tarmac delay. In most cases the cause of lengthy tarmac delays are outside of PIA’s reasonable control (e.g., weather events, inefficiencies of today’s air traffic control (ATC) systems, government operating restrictions, and airport construction projects). There are also times when unanticipated flight delays may occur due to airline operations, but no matter what the cause, PIA commits to implement measures under this Plan.

Details of the Plan appear below:

Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays

This Plan is adopted for all scheduled flights operated with an aircraft equal to or greater than 30 passenger seats operated by PIA.

PIA’s Assurances to Customers:

1. For international flights covered by this Plan that depart from or arrive at a U.S. airport, PIA will not permit an aircraft to remain on the tarmac at a large or medium hub U.S. airport for more than four hours before allowing passengers to deplane, unless:

(i) The pilot-in-command determines there is a safety-related or security-related reason why the aircraft cannot leave its position on the tarmac to deplane passengers; or

(ii) Air traffic control advises the pilot-in-command that returning to the gate or another disembarkation point elsewhere in order to deplane passengers would significantly disrupt airport operations.

2. For all flights covered by this Plan, PIA will provide adequate food and potable water no later than two hours after the aircraft leaves the gate (in the case of departure) or touches down (in the case of arrival) if the aircraft remains on the tarmac, unless the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service.

3. For all flights covered by this Plan, PIA will provide operable lavatory facilities, as well as adequate medical attention if needed, while the aircraft remains on the tarmac.

4. PIA has sufficient resources to implement this Plan.

5. PIA has coordinated this Plan with airport authorities at the U.S. airports that PIA serves, including medium and large diversion airports.

IMPORTANT: CUSTOMERS ARE NOTIFIED OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING CERTAIN CUSTOMER SERVICE PROVISIONS DURING A LENGTHY TARMAC DELAYED FLIGHT

• Deplaning of customers may occur when safe and secure either at a terminal gate or at a designated aircraft parking position on airport grounds via stairs and airline sourced ground transportation to the airport building (if needed).

• All customers who want to deplane from a lengthy tarmac delayed flight and make alternative travel arrangements consistent with airline ticketing policies may do so when it is determined to be safe and secure, after the aircraft has been moved into position for deplaning, all operational requirements for deplaning have been completed and the pilot-in-command has allowed customer deplaning to begin.

• In most cases, the flight will continue to its destination after passenger deplaning has occurred as PIA’s customers continue to tell us that, generally, they want to get to their intended destination, even if their arrival will be delayed.

• In instances where customers may deplane at a remote aircraft parking position, reboarding the aircraft will not be possible and will not be made available. In cases where an aircraft that has returned to a gate in accordance with the Plan, customers may be advised how long the aircraft will remain at the gate to determine how much time (if any) customers may spend inside the airport building prior to having to re-board the aircraft for the continuation of the flight. Passengers need to keep their boarding passes with them to re-board when permissible.

• Customers who chose to deplane and make alternative travel arrangements, consistent with airline ticketing policies, may be advised that in most cases their checked baggage will remain on the aircraft to the flight’s final destination. In cases where the flight returns to the gate and is canceled, customers will be able to retrieve their checked luggage at the airport’s baggage claim facilities.

• Depending upon the circumstances of the delay, aircraft catering provisions and local airport catering supplies, adequate food or snacks will be provided and at the very least, customers will be offered drinking water, if not a full beverage service. It is possible that if a snack/meal and beverage services are provided on the ground during a delay event that certain snack/meal and beverage services will not be made available during flight once the aircraft has departed.

• All aircraft covered by this plan have onboard lavatory services for customer use, and in accordance with this plan customers will have access to aircraft lavatories at no later than two hours of delay and so long as the pilot-in-command has indicated it is safe and secure for customers to move about the aircraft cabin.

• PIA in-flight crews are trained to contact, coordinate, and, if necessary, utilize third party medical service providers, if available, to address customer needs during flight or when an aircraft is experiencing a lengthy tarmac delay. In-flight crews will also coordinate with the pilot-in-command of the flight should any customer require immediate medical attention.

• Customers are encouraged to make appropriate preparations for air travel, such as bringing essential needs onboard the aircraft in accordance with advised carry-on restrictions, including medicines and other medically required items, baby and child care products (i.e. diapers) and other items essential to personal health and communication requirements. PIA, in most cases, will not have such products available for customers.

Source: PIA

[Nasir]

Almost sounds like the "passenger Bill of Rights" signed on by many US airlines. Pax should keep printed copies of this from the website on journies to/from US so that they are adequetly covered in case of severe delays.

[Fazal_SKIES]

Good to see another step of US on passengers rights and regulate airlines.