American Fined USD$1.6 Mln For Breaking Tarmac Delay Rule

The US Department of Transportation has fined American Airlines USD$1.6 million for violating a rule prohibiting long tarmac delays.

DOT found that in 2013 and 2015, American Airlines allowed a number of domestic flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without allowing passengers the opportunity to disembark.

The fine is the highest amount assessed against an airline for violating the delay rule, matching a USD$1.6 million fine against Southwest Airlines in 2015.

The department found that 20 flights at Charlotte Airport on February 16, 2013, six flights at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport on February 27, 2015, and one flight at Shreveport Regional Airport, Louisiana on October 22, 2015 broke the tarmac delay rules.

The delays in Charlotte included flights operated by US Airways, now part of American, and regional affiliates.

Under DOT rules, US airlines operating aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats are prohibited from allowing domestic flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without giving passengers an opportunity to leave the plane. Exceptions are permitted only for safety, security, or air traffic control-related reasons.

“Our tarmac rule is meant to prevent passengers from being trapped in aircraft on the ground for hours on end,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “We will continue to take enforcement action as necessary to ensure passengers are not kept delayed on the tarmac for lengthy periods of time.”

Of the USD$1.6 million fine, $602,000 will be credited for compensation provided to passengers on the affected flights, and $303,000 towards the airline’s costs of a surface management system at Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth airports to monitor the location of each aircraft on the airfield, DOT said.