DOT ASSESSES $4.1 MILLION PENALTY AGAINST U.S. AIR CARRIER FOR TARMAC DELAYS
September 1, 2023
On August 28, 2023, the United States Department of Transportation (“DOT”) published a Consent Order (“Order”) finding American Airlines (“American”) failed to adhere to its tarmac delay contingency plan for 43 domestic flights. In total, DOT concluded that the tarmac delays affected more than 5,000 passengers between 2018 and 2021, with most of the delays occurring at American’s hub in Dallas, Texas. The delays cited ranged from just over three hours to more than six hours, in violation of the Department’s rules. The Order directs American to pay a $2.05 million penalty within thirty days and credits the remaining $2.05 million penalty to American for the amounts it already compensated passengers on the delayed flights. In response, American asserts that it has made substantial improvements to prevent future tarmac delays and was largely impacted by severe weather in the delays cited. DOT’s Order assesses the largest civil penalty ever issued under the tarmac delay rules.
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