WASHINGTON — Sen. Charles E. Schumer wants to bring more truth in advertising to travel Web sites—to prevent people from accidentally booking a flight on a regional carrier operating a route for one of the major airlines.

The New York Democrat announced Tuesday that he has introduced legislation that would require travel Web sites to tell customers, on the first page after they enter in a search for airline tickets, which airline will be running the flight.

“It is unacceptable that passengers put their safety in the hands of airlines every time they board a plane, but not all Web sites disclose which airline carrier passengers will actually be flying until the last moment,” Schumer said.

“With regional carriers representing 40 percent of America’s commercial fleet, customers should be able to easily choose which carriers they want to fly.”

Schumer said he hopes to get his proposal into legislation to reauthorize funding for the Federal Aviation Administration.

The bill is the latest legislative initiative to stem from the Feb. 12 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Clarence Center, which claimed 50 lives. Colgan Air, a regional airline based in Manassas, Va., operated that flight.

Regional airlines, whose names remain unknown to much of the flying public, have been responsible for all of the nation’s multiple-fatality commercial plane crashes since 2002.

Nevertheless, it is easy to book a flight on a regional airline without noticing it, given that the regionals operate under the banner of the major carriers.

For example, Schumer noted, when a customer does a search for tickets from Buffalo to Albany for July 15, an 11:30 a. m. US Airways flight appears — even though Colgan Air runs that flight. That fact is disclosed only after the customer has clicked the “Choose This Flight” button.

“The bottom line is that, from start to finish, airline passengers purchasing tickets online should know exactly which carrier they are purchasing a ticket from,” Schumer said. “If there is nothing to hide, then it should not be hidden.”

Schumer’s proposal drew a muted response from the airline industry. The Air Transport Association, which represents major carriers, has not taken a formal policy position on the legislation, spokeswoman Elizabeth Merida said.

Roger Cohen, president of the Regional Airline Association, said his group is reviewing Schumer’s bill and assessing its potential impact on the traveling public.

Expedia, the largest travel Web site, did not respond to a request to comment.

The group Families of Continental Flight 3407 backs Schumer’s airline disclosure bill, along with an earlier Schumer proposal to mandate that a safety expert serve on the FAA’s Management Advisory Council.

“Chuck Schumer has been a strong advocate of our group from Day One, and [the disclosure bill] is just one more example of that support,” said Susan Bourque, an East Aurora resident who lost her sister, 9/11 activist Beverly Eckert, in the crash.

The Flight 3407 families also announced they are supporting legislation introduced by Sens. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., that would put into effect several key National Transportation Safety Board recommendations on aviation safety, such as toughening standards for flying in icing conditions. That bill also would require a more thorough review of pilot records before they are hired and mandate random inspections at flight schools and airlines to make sure that training programs are adequate.

All of those proposed bills could end up as part of the FAA reauthorization, which is expected to be completed later this year.