Tarmac delays seem to be an extremely common complaint among travelers. I have experienced them on my last three flights alone, including waiting three hours to take off recently in lousy weather.
On this particular flight, we were delayed in 30-minute increments over and over until it had been over three hours! I had my three children with me, and I am amazed they somehow held it together. It was hot, and nobody could get up to use the bathroom because we could possibly move at any moment since we were on the runway.
While passenger rights are meant to protect airline passengers, they tend not to offer any protection since airlines can overrule them when on the runway, saying it is in the interest of passenger safety. More will be explored about that on this site but first, an example of a tarmac delay.
What is a tarmac delay?
According to the US Department of Transportation, a tarmac delay is "when an airplane on the ground is either awaiting takeoff or has just landed, and passengers do not have the opportunity to get off the plane."
Example of a Tarmac Delay
In July 2021, American Airlines Flight 4516 passengers experienced a nightmarish tarmac delay ordeal while stranded on the tarmac for several hours at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, USA.
The flight was to depart in the afternoon for its destination, Hartford, Connecticut. However, due to thunderstorms and heavy rain in the Charlotte area, weather-related disruptions significantly affected the airport.
The flight was delayed on the ground, and passengers were asked to remain seated while the airline closely monitored the weather conditions.
As the weather worsened, the flight crew decided to suspend boarding and hold the passengers on the aircraft to prevent further congestion on the airport apron and ensure safety. What was to be a temporary delay became an excruciatingly long ordeal as the thunderstorms persisted, and the airport experienced a high volume of delayed and canceled flights.
Passengers onboard Flight 4516 found themselves stuck on the tarmac for more than five hours, enduring cramped seating, limited access to food and water, and no clear updates about their departure status. The lack of information and uncertainty about when they would be able to depart exacerbated the frustration and discomfort of the passengers.
During this extended tarmac delay, passengers took social media to express their grievances and share photos and videos.
The incident quickly garnered media attention and sparked discussions about airline policies regarding tarmac delays and passenger well-being.
Eventually, the flight was cleared for takeoff once the weather conditions improved and the airport accommodated the flight backlog. The aircraft finally departed for Hartford late in the evening, many hours after its scheduled departure time.
Following the incident, American Airlines apologized to the affected passengers and acknowledged that the situation was unacceptable. The airline promised to review its procedures for handling tarmac delays and improve communication with passengers during such cases.
The incident highlighted the challenges airlines face when dealing with severe weather disruptions and the importance of having effective contingency plans to ensure passengers' comfort and well-being during tarmac delays.
Conclusion
Coincidentally my recent three-hour delay was with American Airlines as well. So it seems not much has changed in two years.
But they are all equal offenders. My most recent horror story occurred on United, and it can happen with any of them.
While airlines always apologize when there is a tarmac delay, it does not seem to make much difference as they continue to occur constantly.
We will explore passengers' rights and options in future articles on this website.