Statement By U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood On Continental Express Tarmac Delay

I have asked the Department of Transportation’s General Counsel to look into whether Continental Airlines or its regional partner Express Jet Airlines has violated any laws in connection with the lengthy tarmac delay on their Houston-Minneapolis flight over the weekend in which passengers were stuck in a small plane for seven hours. While we don’t yet have all the facts, this incident as reported is very troubling. We are investigating the incident and will do whatever we can to make sure passengers are not subjected to such situations in the future.