DOT sues Southwest Airlines over chronic delays; fines Frontier Airlines

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is suing Southwest Airlines for illegally operating multiple chronically delayed flights and disrupting passengers’ travel, the agency announced. Frontier Airlines has also been fined for similar violations.

On Wednesday, the DOT revealed it is seeking maximum civil penalties in its lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, citing chronically delayed flights and unrealistic scheduling practices that “can harm both passengers and fair competition across the airline industry.”

Additionally, Frontier Airlines has been fined $650,000 in civil penalties for operating multiple chronically delayed flights, the DOT stated.

Under DOT regulations, a flight is classified as chronically delayed if it operates at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late over 50% of the time. Cancellations and diversions are also considered delays under this rule.

The DOT investigation found that Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights—one between Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, California, and another between Baltimore, Maryland, and Cleveland, Ohio. Between April and August 2022, these flights resulted in 180 disruptions for passengers. Each flight was chronically delayed for five consecutive months.

Southwest was found to be responsible for over 90% of the disruptions for these two flights. The DOT concluded that the airline failed to address the chronic delays despite having been given “adequate” time to adjust its schedule.

The lawsuit against Southwest was filed jointly with the Department of Justice in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

“Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Today’s action sends a message to all airlines that the Department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections.”