Boise-based charter airline receives $300K fine

BOISE (AP) - A Boise-based airline company was fined $300,000 by the U.S. Department of Transportation for allegedly violating rules protecting passengers from cancellations.

Xtra Airways, which moved to Idaho from Nevada in 2010, stopped flying charters for another airline, Direct Air, earlier this year after it didn't receive payments.

Consequently, DOT says numerous passengers didn't receive service for which they'd paid.

DOT requires charter operators to have provisions in place to protect consumers' money if a flight is canceled. Rules also ban canceling most flights less than 10 days before departure.

Xtra said it did everything it could to protect the traveling public and regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers.

Affected flights were between cities in the Midwest and the Northeast, including Niagara Falls, N.Y., to southeastern U.S. destinations.