The dispute between the US regulator and airlines over the ‘tarmac rule’ continues. Last year DOT introduced fines ($27,500 per passenger) for airlines that keep passengers stuck inside an aircraft on the ground for three hours or more. It has been reported that since the introduction, the number of tarmac delays has dropped significantly, saving hundreds of thousands of passengers from dreadful experiences. There is nothing similar in Europe, where tarmac delays remain unreported, as well as flight cancellations. This helps many of the prefabricated delay reports look even fancier - who cares about passengers.
