Airlines must plan for chaos—but no one has to listen.
H.R. 3477 — Ensuring Airline Resiliency to Reduce Delays and Cancellations Act · Filed by Rick Larsen (D-WA) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced May 17, 2025 · Reported out
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What it does
This bill requires major U.S. airlines to develop and regularly update plans to prevent or reduce flight delays and cancellations caused by severe weather, cybersecurity threats, staffing shortages, and other disruptions. Airlines must describe how they will protect passengers and maintain operations during crises, and the Government Accountability Office will audit these plans after three years to assess whether they actually work.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a disclosure and planning mandate—airlines must document their resiliency strategies and submit them to federal review. It is not a deregulation, subsidy, or immunity grant; it is a transparency and oversight tool.
What the text implies
- The bill grants SecDOT discretion to define 'any other issues' airlines must address in resiliency plans, creating an open-ended regulatory authority that could expand over time without further legislation.
- Proprietary information protection may limit public visibility into airline vulnerabilities and cybersecurity gaps, reducing transparency despite the bill's stated accountability purpose.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Airlines (covered carriers) — gain regulatory clarity and avoid more prescriptive operational mandat