American Airlines Group Fined With $4.1 Million For Lengthy Delayed Flights That Trapped Hundreds of Passengers

The American Airlines Group was fined with $4.1 million for lengthy delayed flights that trapped hundreds of their passengers. Reports say the penalty was the largest amount ever imposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation to date.

The U.S. Department of Transportation imposed a civil penalty worth $4.1 million to the American Airlines Group for trapping hundreds of their passengers onboard 43 delayed flights that lasted for several hours. Reports say the millions of dollars penalty was the largest amount ever imposed by the Department of Transportation to date.

According to Maszczynski, the U.S. federal law requires airlines like the American Airlines Group to have contingency plans for lengthy delayed flights and allow passengers the opportunity to exit the plane once the delay hits a specific length. Unfortunately, the department ruled that the American Airlines Group had unlawfully kept their passengers onboard delayed flights and against their will.

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Investigation of American Airlines Group

An article in NBC News states that the 43 delayed flights were investigated by the department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection between 2018 and 2021. Further reports say most of the delays were due to severe thunderstorms at the American Airlines Group in Dallas Fort Worth. Nonetheless, the penalty imposed on American Airlines Group surpassed the penalty worth $1.9 million levied on United Airlines in September 2021.

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