American Airlines Hit With $4 Million In Fines Over Stranded Passengers

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) has hit American Airlines (AAL) with a $4 million fine for incidents involving keeping passengers waiting in its aircraft for three hours or more. The fine is the highest assessed to a domestic airline for violations of the relevant regulations. Three hours is the maximum time allowable under DoT rules for passengers to be kept waiting while onboard an aircraft before takeoff. According to a DoT investigation report, American “kept dozens of flights stuck on the tarmac for long periods of time without letting passengers off.”

According to the agency’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection, it reviewed delays registered between 2018 and 2021. In that time frame, American was responsible for “43 domestic flights [remaining] on the tarmac for lengthy periods without providing passengers an opportunity to deplane.” Officials added that the stranded passengers were not offered food or water during the delays, most of which occurred at AAL’s central hub at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. A total of 5,821 passengers were affected, according to the DoT.

American spokesperson Sarah Jantz blamed the delays on “exceptional weather events.” She said the affected flights were just a small percentage of “the 7.7 million flights during this time period,” adding, “We have since apologized to the impacted customers and regret any inconvenience caused.”