The
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said that Air China violated
federal rules last July by not making announcements every 30 minutes
to passengers on an aircraft delayed at New York’s JFK
International Airport that they had an opportunity to leave the plane
as it sat at the gate with the door open. DOT fined Air China
$90,000 and ordered the airline to cease and desist from further
violations.
“Airline
passengers have rights, including the right to be informed that they
can leave a plane that is facing long delays at the gate,” said
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Our tarmac rules
are meant to protect passengers from being stuck on grounded aircraft
for hours on end, and we will continue to work with airlines and
airports to make sure that travelers are treated with the respect
they deserve before, during, and after their flights.”Air China Flight 982 was scheduled to fly from JFK to Beijing Capital International Airport on July 15, 2012. The plane sat at the gate from 6:40 p.m. to 8:26 p.m. with the door open, but Air China failed to make the required announcements. The aircraft did not take off for Beijing until 10:51 p.m.
The consent order is available on the Internet at www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2013-0004.
