A major new aviation bill seeks to end passengers being made to pay to sit with their kids, and to improve safety on planes after the Alaska blowout

The cockpit voice recorder data was lost from the Alaska Airlines blowout flight because it wasn't retrieved within two hours. NTSB via Reuters

• Joe Biden signed into law the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
• It stops airlines charging families to sit together, as well as other pro-consumer initiatives. 
• Safety measures include upping the cockpit voice recorder time, following criticism after January's blowout.

On Thursday, Joe Biden signed an extensive bipartisan bill that hopes to reform aviation.

The $105 billion legislation reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board until 2028.

It brings a range of improvements for travelers, mostly related to consumer protection.

The maximum civil penalty for airline consumer violations has been raised from $25,000 to $75,000, plus the bill makes it easier for passengers to file complaints.

It also says that within six months, a rule will be made making it easier for families to sit together on planes. That would include prohibiting airlines from charging passengers to seat a child under 14 next to an accompanying adult.

The bill says the FAA Administrator will decide within 60 days whether to mandate minimum seat dimensions on planes for safety reasons.

Safety is a prime focus of the bill, with an increased scrutiny of aircraft production.

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell said: "Plane manufacturers will see more safety inspectors on factory floors and tougher safety standards from the FAA."

Notably, the bill also has new rules about cockpit voice recorders — which comes after criticism from the chair of the NTSB over January's Alaska Airlines blowout.

The data from the voice recorder in that incident was lost because it wasn't retrieved within two hours, so the NTSB called for increasing the holding time to 25 hours, in line with European requirements.

The bill says that all newly manufactured aircraft must have cockpit voice recorders that retain the last 25 hours of information, which will apply to all planes within six years.

"The bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization is a big win for travelers, the aviation workforce, and our economy. It will expand critical protections for air travelers, strengthen safety standards, and support pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers," Biden said in a statement.

He added: "Passengers shouldn't have to jump through endless hoops just to get the refunds that they are owed, and corporations shouldn't rip off hardworking Americans through hidden junk fees."

The bill comes days after several US airlines sued the Department of Transportation over rules requiring upfront fee disclosures. The DOT said in late April this could save consumers over $500 million a year.

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