Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, is being sued by the US Department of Transportation for persistent flight delays that interfere with passengers’ travel schedules.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines Wednesday for operating chronically delayed flights.
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The agency said the airline operated two flights that were delayed 180 times during a five-month period in 2022.
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DOT defines a chronically late flight as on that is flown at least 10 times a month and delayed by more than 30 minutes more than 50% of the time.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines Wednesday for operating chronically delayed flights.
-
The agency said the airline operated two flights that were delayed 180 times during a five-month period in 2022.
-
DOT defines a chronically late flight as on that is flown at least 10 times a month and delayed by more than 30 minutes more than 50% of the time.
WashingtonSouthwest Airlines, based in Dallas, is being sued by the US Department of Transportation for persistent flight delays and interfering with passengers’ travel schedules.
According to Southwest Airlines, the interruptions and delays occurred over two years ago. Nevertheless, the action can harm the airline’s standing and compel adjustments that might affect travelers.
FILE: At Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore, Maryland, a Southwest Airlines aircraft taxis from a gate. (Image courtesy of Getty Images/Kevin Dietsch))
We know:
According to the Department of Transportation, the airline operated two flights between Baltimore and Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, California, both of which experienced five consecutive months of delays between April and August 2022.
Passengers experienced 180 flight disruptions as a result.
Southwest was given “adequate time” to address the flight delays, according to the government, but the flights that were consistently delayed were not resolved.
At Southwest Airlines, an activist investor group is advocating for a change in leadership. At the end of the year, the group is planning a special meeting.
What does chronically delayed mean?
If a flight arrives more than 30 minutes late more than half the time and is flown at least 10 times each month, it is deemed chronically delayed.
According to federal laws, airlines are not allowed to advertise flight schedules that do not accurately reflect the times of departure and arrival.
What they’re saying:
“As part of our commitment to supporting passenger rights and fairness in the market for airline travel, we are suing Southwest Airlines for disrupting passengers travel with unlawful chronic flight delays,” Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation of the United States “It is legally required of airlines to make sure that their flight schedules give passengers reasonable departure and arrival times. The Department’s readiness to take legal action to enforce passenger protections is communicated to all airlines by today’s action.
Based on the figures:
According to court filings, 19 out of 25 flights between Chicago and Oakland in April 2022, 16 out of 27 flights in May 2022, 19 out of 26 flights in June 2022, and 17 out of 26 flights in July 2022 were more than 30 minutes late.
22 of 26 flights in April 2022, 19 of 27 flights in May 2022, 19 of 29 flights in June 2022, and 17 of 31 flights in July 2022 between Baltimore and Cleveland were more than 30 minutes late.
Additionally, Frontier Airlines was fined $650,000 by the Department of Transportation for flying flights that were consistently late. If there are no consistently delayed flights for the next three years, the airline can keep $325,000.
For Southwest Airlines, the agency is pursuing the highest possible civil penalty.
Southwest Responds to Lawsuit
The opposing viewpoint:
Southwest stated in a statement that it was upset that the agency chose to highlight its long-term record rather than flights from more than two years ago.
“Southwestern has run over 20 million flights since DOT’s Chronically Delayed Flight (CDF) policy was announced in 2009, and there have been no additional CDF infractions. When compared to our record over the previous 15 years, any assertion that these two flights reflect an unreasonable schedule is just not credible,” the business stated. “In 2024, Southwest led the industry by completing more than 99% of its flights without cancellation.”
Overview:
Mike Davis is a Southern Methodist University expert in economics.
“The dollar amount of this penalty is not anything that’s going to be a serious threat to Southwest Airlines,” he stated.
According to Davis, the Dallas-based airline ought to be more worried about the impact this will have on its image.
The repute of the airlines. Southwest in particular, but all of them. “The past few months have been somewhat rocky,” he remarked.
According to Davis, passengers may experience the effects of the litigation in the form of higher ticket costs or a cap on the number of flights that are offered.
“Southwest could make its flights come on time more often, but that costs the airline a lot of money,” he stated. “At this time, Southwest is unable to absorb many additional expenses. Therefore, rising prices will lead to higher airfares.
Next steps:
When DOT representatives will meet with Southwest to go over the accusations is not specified.
The Source: Court records and the Department of Transportation are the sources of the information in this article.
