The US Department of Transportation announced on Monday that it is fined American Airlines $4.1 million for unlawfully detaining passengers on planes on the tarmac for extended periods of time.
American Airlines has violated the DOT rule, which prohibits airlines from detaining passengers on planes with tarmac delays of three hours or more, the department said in a statement. In the case of delays of this length, airlines are obliged to allow passengers to disembark.
According to the agency, the penalty is the highest civil penalty ever imposed for taxiway deceleration violations. Passengers are entitled to more than $2.5 billion in refunds related to the delays.
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Between 2018 and 2021, 43 domestic American flights remained on the tarmac for extended periods without allowing passengers to disembark, a violation of Department of Transportation rules, the agency’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection found.
“This is the latest action in our ongoing effort to enforce air passenger rights,” US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Whether it’s extreme tarmac delays or refund issues, the DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable.”
There are exceptions to federal rules designed to prevent airlines from detaining travelers on departing flights. For example, airlines are not required to allow people to disembark if there are legitimate safety reasons for them to remain on board. However, the Department of Transportation’s investigation found that none of the exceptions to the tarmac delay rule applied to the 43 flights in question.
The airline also failed to provide its customers with the necessary food or water during the delays, according to the agency. Most of the delays, affecting about 5,800 passengers, occurred at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to regulators.
“Although these delays were due to exceptional weather events, the flights represent a very small fraction of the 7.7 million flights during that period,” American Airlines told CBS News. “We have since apologized to the customers affected and regret any inconvenience.”
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