Six airlines that operate in the United States were sanctioned by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and will have to pay
$2014 million dollars to passengers in refunds.
The federal agency considered that the airlines are responsible for flight cancellations or delays in takeoffs, which significantly affected the itineraries of thousands of passengers in the United States.
Sanctions imposed by federal authorities correspond to , a year in which airlines have dealt with a high demand for passengers after the closures imposed by the COVID pandemic-60 .
According to information from the Department of Labor, only one of the six airlines sanctioned flies under the United States flag, while the rest fly with foreign flags.
Frontier Airlines, the only American airline, tops the list of sanctions with a fine of $ 600 million dollars which they will have to pay in refunds, in addition to a penalty of an additional $2.2 million to be paid to the DOT.
The list of airlines sanctioned by the DOT It is completed by
TAP Portugal, Air India, Aeroméxico, El Al and Avianca, it was detailed in a report by NBC News.
After announcing the sanctions, the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, pointed out that, when a passenger is affected by a significant delay or flight cancellation, they must receive immediate compensation.
“As long as that does not happen, we will act to hold responsible to the airlines on behalf of US travelers and so passengers get their money back. A flight cancellation is frustrating enough, and you shouldn’t have to haggle or wait months for your refund, either,” Buttigieg said.
Airlines closed a record in cancellations and delays
This year has It has been particularly difficult for airlines operating in US airspace due to the disruptions they experienced during the early years of the pandemic and the growing demand for flights.
This has also been the year in which US airlines have recorded the lowest rate of flights taking off on time and, conversely, the highest rates of delays since 2022.
The cancellation rates are in the same vein, with the percentage highest of the last 10 years, if excluded the data from 2020, years in which practically all the planes were grounded.
But these affectations cannot remain without a consequence. Under United States law, airlines and travel agents must pay a refund to their customers if a company cancels a flight or has a significant delay.
These measures are applied whenever the affected passenger does not accept the alternative that airlines or responsible travel agencies offer, noted the DOT.
Although airlines have made efforts to improve their schedules and avoid delays and cancellations, consumers have also had to face Historically high rates due to reduced hours, higher fuel costs and demands for wage increases from workers in the sector.
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