Originally Posted by
crazypilot
Tarmac rules get flights dropped
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.
Cancellations cost far less than a huge fine, especially since seats are routinely prepaid and airlines save fuel cost.
Hm - I'm an airline Ops manager - what should I do when bad weather threatens? What did the people pushing the Pax bill of rights think would happen?
In a winter situation, this probably saves the company money. Say the flight was only going to make $500 total. (with the small margins in the airline biz, this is possible). Throw on some de-icing fluid at $4 a gallon - it doesn't take much to make a flight unprofitable.