»»More Flight Cancellations as a Consequence of Tarmac Delay Fines
Many airlines are taking the decision that it is better to drop flights from their schedules when bad weather strikes.
They are making this move to avoid new multimillion-dollar fines that airlines would receive for long tarmac delay — defined as three hours or more.
The government announced in December it would fine airlines $27,500 per passenger for long tarmac delays or $2.75 million for a 100-passenger flight, the USA Today reports. These fines go into effect April 29.
Cancellations cost far less than a huge fine, especially since seats are routinely prepaid and airlines save fuel cost.
The newspaper quoted Amy Cohn, an associate professor at the University of Michigan who has done extensive research on airline scheduling, as saying: “They’re canceling a lot more”.
She said she had seen a substantial increase in cancellations across the airline industry.
