American Airlines was hit with the largest fine in U.S. Department of Transportation history for trapping passengers onboard for hours-long flight delays.
The department announced that it had fined American Airlines $4.1 million on Aug. 28 for more than 43 instances in which passengers were stuck on the tarmac longer than required without giving them the opportunity to disembark.The DOT called it “the largest civil penalty that the department has ever assessed,” according to a press statement.
About 5,821 passengers were impacted by the lengthy flight delays on multiple domestic flights between 2018 and 2021.
According to American, the airline and its regional partners have flown some 976,000 flights during the first two quarters of the year,DOT Issues Largest Fine in Its History
The DOT issued the penalty as part of a consent order in which American Airlines allegedly breached its rule on tarmac delays by keeping passengers on board for over three hours.The department’s existing rules covering extended ground delays have been in effect for over a decade.
