American Airlines has been fined $4.1 million after an investigation found it left more than 5,000 passengers stranded in grounded planes for hours.
The fine, which sets a new record, comes after an investigation found American kept passengers “trapped” on at least 43 domestic flights for more than three hours without offering them an opportunity to deplane, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The incidents occurred between 2018 and 2021. “This is the latest action in our continued drive to enforce the rights of airline passengers,” says Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
Officials have given American a $2 million credit for compensation it already paid to delayed passengers, Buttigieg says. The other half is due in the next 30 days, he adds.