Yesterday, the United States and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) disclosed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, accusing the airline of chronically delayed flights and interrupting passengers’ travels. In addition, the DOT levied a fine against Frontier Airlines, which was also for chronically delayed flights.
The DOT looks to end chronically delayed flights
According to the DOT, chronically delayed flights result from unrealistic scheduling practices, hurting competition and harming passengers. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg commented: “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. Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times. Today’s action sends a message to all airlines that the Department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections.”
The DOT’s investigation noted that Southwest flew two chronically delayed flights, consisting of a Chicago Midway to Oakland, CA route and a Baltimore to Cleveland route. That caused 180 flight disruptions from April to August 2022. Every flight faced delays over a five-month period.
The DOT also fined Frontier Airlines for several chronically delayed flights. The cost was $650,000, with half paid to the U.S. Treasury, and the remaining suspended if there are no more occurrences in the next three years.
Federal rules prohibit airlines from scheduling flights not indicative of actual departure and arrival times. Unrealistic scheduling can affect market competition and customers’ travel plans.
