Patchwork laws

A federal court ruled that states cannot pass laws about passenger rights on delayed planes. The reason? Only the federal government has the right to make decisions about certain elements of airline travel.

Immigration falls into a similar category—after all, California’s Proposition 187 was nixed in part because a federal court said it interfered with the federal government’s exclusive right to make immigration policy.

In a statement, the Air Transport Association said the ruling vindicates its position that airline services are regulated by the federal government and that a "patchwork" of state and local measures would not benefit customers.

It is unfortunate that there is not more discussion of the current effects of state “patchwork” measures on immigration, which are definitely not benefiting any “customers.”