According to documents filed with the bankruptcy court, American Airlines is faces fines of $162.4m from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for safety violations.
The agency has identified 36 separate instances where American Airlines is alleged to have violated safety rules, including failing to perform repairs and mechanics mistakenly putting aircraft back into service with inoperable equipment.
The largest claim was for $39.3 million in recommended fines that resulted from what the FAA called a systemic failure to repair 757s in 2009.
Michael Trevino, a spokesman for AMR, said told the media: “The claims process is a routine part of any Chapter 11 filing. It is not an admission that money is owed, nor is it an admission that the amount cited is correct.”