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U.S. Department of Transportation Slams American Airlines With Record Fines for Tarmac Delays

August 29, 2023

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation charged American Airlines a $4.1 million fine for breaking the law by repeatedly keeping passengers trapped on the runway for over three hours.

The Department of Transportation requires airlines to return planes to the gate and let passengers off whenever a domestic flight sits on the tarmac for three hours.

The DOT said the worst delays happened at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, American Airlines' biggest hub. Additional delays occurred at airports in Houston, San Antonio, and near Washington, D.C. In an August 2020 incident, 105 passengers were stuck on the runway in San Antonio for six grueling hours - enough time to fly from Texas to California. In at least one case, passengers trapped in an American Airlines plane were not offered food or water. In all, the suit alleges 5,821 travelers were affected.

"This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "Whether the issue is extreme tarmac delays or problems getting refunds, DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable."

The DOT investigation found that American Airlines violated passenger rights to deplane during lengthy delays at least 43 times from 2018 to 2021. The lawsuit claims that none of the safety or security conditions that could have justified keeping passengers on idle planes were applied to any of the flights mentioned in the complaint.

The $4.1 million penalty is the biggest fine the Department has ever issued for breaking its rule on long tarmac delays. Out of this amount, $2.05 million will be waived since the airline used that amount to compensate passengers on the delayed flights.

The rule against long delays on the tarmac started during the Obama era. For flights within the U.S., airlines can't keep passengers on the runway for more than three hours without letting them off the plane. For international flights, the maximum time is four hours.

Earlier this year, the DOT drafted a new rule to make airlines pay for amenities like meals, hotel stays, and rebooking costs when they're at fault for leaving passengers stranded. Following a two-year effort by the DOT to enhance traveler experience, the top 10 airlines now promise to provide meals and complimentary rebooking on their own airline, with nine also ensuring hotel stays.

Additionally, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has pressed airlines to ensure families can sit together without extra fees. Before these rules were in place, airlines could charge parents additional to sit with their children. Now, such charges must be disclosed upfront, the first time airfare is presented to the passenger. The notifications also include other charges that airlines had previously buried in the fine print, such as fees for carry-on and checked baggage and cancellation fees. 

American Airlines responded to the sanctions by claiming the delays did not affect that many people. 

“While these delays were the result of exceptional weather events, the flights represent a very small number of the 7.7 million flights during this time period,” said spokeswoman Sarah Jantz in a New York Times article. “We have since apologized to the impacted customers and regret any inconvenience caused.”

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