American Airlines Imposes Unprecedented Fine After Prolonged Tarmac Delays

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Monday that American Airlines will face a fine of $4.1 million for unlawfully holding passengers on planes for extended periods of time. This violation of the DOT’s rule, which prohibits airlines from keeping passengers on planes for tarmac delays exceeding three hours, resulted in the largest civil penalty ever issued for such violations. The passengers affected by these delays are entitled to over $2.5 billion in refunds.

A detailed investigation by the agency’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection revealed that between 2018 and 2021, American Airlines had 43 domestic flights where passengers were kept onboard during lengthy tarmac delays, in clear violation of Transportation Department rules. In response to this fine, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated, “This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers. Whether the issue is extreme tarmac delays or problems getting refunds, DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable.”

While there are exceptions to the federal rules allowing airlines to keep passengers onboard due to legitimate safety concerns, the investigation determined that none of these exceptions applied to the 43 flights in question. Additionally, the airline neglected to provide passengers with food or water, which is mandatory during delays. Most of these delays, affecting approximately 5,800 passengers, occurred at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

American Airlines responded to CBS News by acknowledging that these delays were caused by severe weather conditions, and while they only accounted for a small fraction of the 7.7 million flights during that period, they have apologized to the affected passengers and expressed regret for any inconvenience caused.