United Airlines Fined $1.9 Million for Violating Transportation Department's Tarmac-Delay Rule
September 24 2021 - 02:47PM
Dow Jones News
By Dave Sebastian
The Transportation Department said it fined United Airlines
Holdings Inc. $1.9 million for violating the department's rule
prohibiting long tarmac delays, the largest fine it has issued for
such violations.
The department on Friday said its Office of Aviation Consumer
Protection found that the airline allowed 20 domestic flights and
five international flights at various U.S. airports between
December 2015 and February 2021 to remain on the tarmac for a
lengthy period without providing passengers the opportunity to
deplane. The delays affected 3,218 passengers, it said.
A United spokesman said the 25 flights were out of nearly 8
million flights operated by United and United Express during the
timeframe. Since 2015, the company has implemented a
diversion-monitoring system that identifies available airports for
a flight affected by weather and invested in ground-service
equipment, he said.
"We remain committed to fully meeting all DOT rules and will
continue identifying and implementing improvements in how we manage
difficult operating conditions while maintaining the safety of our
customers and employees," the spokesman said.
At U.S. airports, airlines operating aircraft with 30 or more
passenger seats are prohibited from letting their domestic flights
remain on the tarmac for more than three hours and international
flights to stay on the tarmac for longer than four hours without
giving passengers the opportunity to leave the plane, the
department said. The rule for domestic flights went into effect in
2010 and was expanded to international flights in 2011.
The department ordered the airline to cease and desist from
future similar violations.
Write to Dave Sebastian at dave.sebastian@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 24, 2021 14:32 ET (18:32 GMT)
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