Fines for Tarmac Delays

WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Airlines can now be fined as much as $27,500 per passenger if a loaded plane sits on the tarmac for more than three hours. The Department of Transportation issued new regulations Monday to deal with extended delays.

The new fines could cost airlines a hefty $2.75 million for a hundred stranded passengers. About 1,500 domestic flights a year keep more than 100,000 passengers stuck on the apron for more than three hours.

The new rules were triggered by an incident last August when 47 passengers on a Continental Airlines flight operated by ExpressJet were kept on a plane overnight at Rochester, Minn. That action drew fines totaling $175,000.

"I hope that this sends a signal to the rest of the airline industry that we expect airlines to respect the rights of air travelers," Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood said at the time.

The new regulations, which take effect in April, will not apply to international flights. Airlines will be required to set and make public their own limits on tarmac delays for international flights and will be subject to fines if they overstep.