Tarmac delay surveillance and mitigation system: Requirements analysis for NextGen

Several widely publicized incidents, in which passengers remained on an aircraft on the tarmac for up to 11 hours prompted the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a new rule designed to provide consumer protection to airline passengers. The rule mandates water/food/amenities for passengers on a plane for two hours, and an option to deplane after three hours. The rule also stipulates that airlines develop internal, auditable plans to meet the two/three hour clauses, and to report tarmac delays to the government for causal analysis.