On the fly: airline passengers’ rights bill…

With some significant tweaking, the Senate consumer protection committee on Friday gave a thumbs-up to Sen. Ken Jacobsen’s “Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights.”

The bill, which originally would have mandated cash refunds to passengers stranded for long stretches on the tarmac, has been “watered down” — committee chair Brian Weinstein’s words — to mirror a New York law. It would require refreshments, fresh air, medical attention and waste removal for passengers stuck in on-the-ground planes for more than three hours.

“The only think I would like to have seen - I know it’s not possible — is legroom,” added Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside.