Southwest Fined $1.6 Million For Violating Tarmac Delay Rule
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DALLAS, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas' Southwest Airlines is being fined $1.6 million for not letting passengers get off planes that were stuck on the ground during long delays.
The The U.S. Department of Transportation accused Southwest of failing to offer passengers on 16 aircraft delayed at Chicago's Midway Airport the opportunity to deplane within three hours of arrival.
The government says Southwest didn't have enough employees on the job during a winter storm to implement its Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan.
"Airline passengers have rights, and the Department's tarmac delay rules are meant to prevent passengers from being stuck on an aircraft on the ground for hours on end," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "We have aggressively enforced, and will continue to aggressively enforce, our tarmac delay rule to ensure carriers have adequate resources to minimize passengers' exposure to lengthy tarmac delays."
To date, including this order, the Department has issued 17 orders assessing a total of $5.24 million dollars in civil penalties for violations of its tarmac delay rules.
According to the government agency, this is a record fine for violating federal rules against long tarmac delays.
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