by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:30 AM ET, Thu December 15, 2016
On Wednesday, the United States Transportation Department issued American Airlines a $1.6 million fine for violating a rule regarding long tarmac delays.
According to the Transportation Department's official website, the record-matching fine was a result of an investigation by the Transportation Department which found American Airlines "allowed a number of domestic flights to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without allowing passengers an opportunity to get off the plane."
The $1.6 million fine is only matched by the penalty levied against Southwest Airlines in 2015 for violating the same rule. Of the fine, the Transportation Department will deduct $602,000 for compensation American Airlines already issued to passengers and another $303,000 for what the airline spent on a surface management and surveillance system to monitor the location of each aircraft.
The rule American Airlines violated states that all airlines in the United States which operate aircraft with 30 or more passenger seats are not allowed to let a plane remain on the tarmac for more than three hours without giving passengers an opportunity to deplane.
"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 in a statement. "We will continue to take enforcement action as necessary to ensure passengers are not kept delayed on the tarmac for lengthy periods of time."
In addition, airlines must provide passengers with food, water, working lavatories and proper medical attention when needed. The $1.6 million fine for American Airlines also includes flights operated US Airways and its regional partners.
"It's worth noting that a large portion of the settlement is related to a winter weather event that occurred nearly four years ago in Charlotte," American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
