by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:00 AM ET, Thu January 16, 2025
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT)
announced a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and a fine against Frontier
Airlines as part of a crackdown on how carriers handle flight delays.
According to The
Associated Press, the DOT filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in
California on Wednesday, which accuses Southwest of illegally operating “chronically
delayed flights” and disrupting the plans of impacted passengers.
DOT officials said they are seeking “maximum civil penalties”
against the airline.
“Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their
flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times,”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told The AP. “Today’s action sends a
message to all airlines that the Department is prepared to go to court in order
to enforce passenger protections.”
As for Frontier, the DOT levied $650,000 in civil penalties,
including $325,000 to be paid to the U.S. Treasury and the remaining $325,000
to be suspended if the airline does not operate any chronically delayed flights
over the next three years.
Earlier this month, the DOT fined
JetBlue $2 million for chronic delays, citing the carrier’s persistent
issues due to “unrealistic scheduling.”
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