A study says a Department of Transportation rule aimed at cutting tarmac delays actually results in more delays for passengers.
Researchers at Dartmouth College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found the DOT rule which heavily fines airlines for tarmac delays of three hours or more increased flight cancelations overall.
Enacted in 2010, the rule means airlines can be fined up to $27,500 per passenger if tarmac waits exceed this.
This has led to airlines seeking to avoid the fines by cancelling flights sooner.
The study said this exacerbate delays as other fights have to wait while passengers deplane.
"We found that for every minute of tarmac time being saved there is, on average, a three-minute increase in the total passenger delay," said co-author Vikrant Vaze, of Dartmouth’s Thayer School of Engineering.
The study recommends less stringent rules, increasing the delay window by 30 minutes before fines kick in, and doing away with the rule for evening flights to help reduce the number of passengers stranded at airports overnight.
Trade organization Airlines for America has welcomed the recommendations.
"This study confirms what our members have said all along — the tarmac delay rule has actually caused more harm than good for the traveling public," said spokeswoman Jean Medina.
"The rigid structure of the rule in its current form has resulted in unnecessary delays in getting passengers to their intended destination, as carriers seek to avoid overly punitive fines from DOT."
