Add your name: It’s time to crack down when airlines leave passengers on the tarmac for hours on end

Tarmac delays are soaring, leaving thousands of passengers stranded inside airplanes for hours. The number of three-hour tarmac delays at U.S. airports hit 437 last year, up from 289 the year before.

The number has risen steadily almost every year since 2016; last year’s was the highest total since the Tarmac Delay Rule took effect in 2010. The rule says airlines can be fined up to $27,500 per passenger if a domestic flight remains on the tarmac for more than three hours without allowing passengers to get off. Yet there have been few fines announced in the last several years.

You can help ensure that airline passengers are better protected if the U.S. Department of Transportation assesses the maximum fine against airlines that violate the Tarmac Delay Rule.