Where Does Federal Law End On An Airline Trip And State Law Begin? JetBlue Just Lost An Important Test

A lawsuit against JetBlue is testing the boundaries of federal preemption in airline liability cases. A passenger who fell while disembarking argues that state law should apply after the plane lands, rather than the less stringent federal standard for in-flight safety. The court ruled in the passenger’s favor on the preemption issue, suggesting that once an aircraft has landed and is disembarking passengers, state laws regarding negligence may apply.