American Airlines fined $4.1M for allegedly breaking law, not allowing passengers to get off planes during delays

HOUSTON – The United States Department of Transportation fined American Airlines $4.1 million on Monday for keeping passengers on planes and on the tarmac for several hours, the DOT said.

According to the DOT’s rule and federal laws, if a tarmac delay lasts more than three hours, people should have the chance to get off the plane. The department said the airline allegedly had long delays for 43 flights and did not allow passengers to exit the plane.

American Airlines received the largest fine from the DOT for breaking this rule. The DOT said it continues to try to keep travelers safe and has helped get $2.5 billion in refunds to people.

“This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Whether the issue is extreme tarmac delays or problems getting refunds, DOT will continue to protect consumers and hold airlines accountable.”

The fine relates to incidents that happened from 2018-2021. During one of the flights, passengers were not given food and water, the DOT said.

Most of the delays took place at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and impacted 5,821 people. $2.05 million from the $4.1 million fine will also be used to compensate those who were affected by the situations.

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