The Biden administration on Wednesday sued Southwest Airways, accusing the service of illegally working a number of chronically delayed flights and disrupting passengers’ journey.
The Transportation Division stated in its civil go well with within the US District Courtroom in Northern California that the service had operated unrealistic schedules, and stated it’s looking for most civil penalties. The Justice Division joined within the go well with.
USDOT stated that for 5 months in 2022, Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights: one between Chicago Halfway and Oakland, California, and one other between Baltimore and Cleveland.
“Today’s action sends a message to all airlines that the department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated.
The division additionally stated on Wednesday that it was fining Frontier Airways $650,000 for working a number of chronically delayed flights. Frontier, which declined to remark, pays $325,000 and should pay the rest if it operates any chronically delayed flights within the subsequent three years.
Southwest stated it was disenchanted USDOT selected to sue “over two flights that occurred more than two years ago.” Southwest stated that since 2009, the service has operated greater than 20 million flights with no different violations.
“Any claim that these two flights represent an unrealistic schedule is simply not credible when compared with our performance over the past 15 years,” Southwest stated. “In 2024, Southwest led the industry by completing more than 99% of its flights without cancellation.”
Beneath USDOT guidelines, a flight is chronically delayed whether it is flown at the very least 10 occasions a month and arrives greater than half-hour late at the very least 50% of the time.
It was unclear whether or not President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration would pursue the lawsuit.
Southwest in December 2023 agreed to offer $90 million in journey vouchers of $75 or extra to passengers delayed at the very least three hours attending to ultimate locations due to an airline-caused challenge or cancellation, a part of a USDOT settlement over the service’s December 2022 vacation meltdown.
This month, USDOT imposed a $2 million penalty on JetBlue Airways for working 4 chronically delayed flights on home routes. It was first such fantastic on an airline for the prohibited scheduling observe.
JetBlue agreed to pay a $1 million fantastic and the rest will go to compensate clients. JetBlue agreed to offer vouchers value a minimal of $75 for passengers for future flight cancellations or delays of three hours or extra attributable to the airline inside the subsequent 12 months.
USDOT stated at varied factors in 2022 and 2023 JetBlue operated chronically delayed flights between New York and Raleigh-Durham, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando together with a flight between Fort Lauderdale and Windsor Locks, Conn.
USDOT final month sought touch upon whether or not it ought to mandate money compensation for prolonged delays or cancellations attributable to airways.
