<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Passengers are further protected by the guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, at least for now. Under Section 145 of the Aviation and Security Transportation Act, which was signed into law in November 2001, carriers operating on the same route as bankrupt or insolvent carriers are required to provide air transportation to passengers whose flights have been suspended, interrupted or discontinued. This requirement, however, is itself expected to be discontinued on May 19, 2003. </font>