MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Transportation fined American Airlines $1.6 million for violating a federal rule prohibiting long tarmac delays from 2013 to 2015 that investigators believed were mostly due to mismanagement.
Federal authorities cited 20 flight delays Feb. 16, 2013 in Charlotte during a snowstorm; six flight delays Feb. 27, 2015 in Dallas, and one flight Oct. 22, 2015 at Shreveport.
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"Our tarmac rule is meant to prevent passengers from being trapped in an aircraft on the ground for hours on end," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.
American Airlines claims they cooperated with authorities during the investigations. They disagreed with federal investigators, and cited unpredictable weather, a vehicle breakdown and a medical situation for the delays.
DOT investigators believed the National Weather Service warning allowed American Airlines ample time to prevent the tarmac delays that affected some 860 passengers at the Charlotte International Airport.
American Airlines claims their were juggling hundreds of other flight cancelations and delays, and in the case of one of the flights the decision to bring the aircraft into Charlotte was "the best result possible in this unexpected and difficult situation."
An expected heavy snowstorm was also a factor in the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport delays. American Airlines claims the weather forecasts were unclear and it was impossible to predict that de-icing truck would break down and block planes from moving.
There was a thunderstorm when 131 passengers were trapped in a plane for three hours and 37 minutes at the Shreveport Regional Airport. American Airlines claims a different flight had a passenger with a medical issue, which took priority for unloading.
Federal authorities will be deducting the $602,000 American Airlines paid passengers in compensation and $303,000 for acquiring, operating and maintaining equipment to monitor conditions in Charlotte and Dallas. The remaining $695,000 must be paid within 30 days, according to the DOT.