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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Continental, ExpressJet Slammed With $100,000 Fine

FOXBusiness

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Friday that the stranding of 47 passengers for six hours will cost Continental Airlines (CAL) and ExpressJet (JXT) $100,000. Mesaba Airlines will also face a civil fine of $75,000 due to its mistakes in ground handling during the flight.

The passengers were left stranded in August on Continental Express flight 2816 at Rochester International Airport, and the fines imposed mark the first time an airline has faced a penalty from the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Enforcement Office. The airlines already provided full refunds to the passengers affected.

"I hope that this sends a signal to the rest of the airline industry that we expect airlines to respect the rights of air travelers," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in a DOT release. “We will also use what we have learned from this investigation to strengthen protections for airline passengers subjected to long tarmac delays.”

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