The US Transportation Department (USDOT) said on Monday it has imposed $2.5-million in civil penalties in total against Lufthansa, Air France unit KLM Royal Dutch Airways and South African Airways (SAA). The civil penalties, the department said, are for significant delays in providing more than $900-million in refunds owed to passengers due to flights disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and after thousands of airline customers were forced to wait months. Of the $1.1-million penalties imposed on KLM and Lufthansa, each carrier was credited $550 000 for refunds for non-refundable tickets on US flights.
