The Department of Transportation (DOT) has filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and fined Frontier Airlines, accusing both carriers of operating chronically delayed flights, marking the Biden administration’s intensified focus on airline accountability.
The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California, alleges Southwest operated flights with repeated delays from Chicago Midway to Oakland and Baltimore to Cleveland between April and August 2022. According to the DOT, these flights arrived late nearly 200 times over five months, with Southwest responsible for over 90% of the disruptions.
A flight is deemed “chronically delayed” if it operates at least 10 times monthly and arrives more than 30 minutes late over half the time, including cancellations and diversions.
“When an airline knows that a particular flight is consistently late, it is essential that the airline adjusts its schedule,” the DOT stated in its filing. “By continuing to market such flights with unrealistic schedules, Southwest has caused significant harm to its customers.”
Southwest pushed back against the lawsuit, expressing disappointment. “This involves two flights from over two years ago,” the airline said in a statement. “Since the DOT issued its chronically delayed flight policy in 2009, Southwest has operated more than 20 million flights with no violations. Claiming these flights reflect an unrealistic schedule is simply not credible.”
Frontier Airlines Fined
In a separate enforcement action, the DOT fined budget carrier Frontier Airlines $650,000 for operating chronically delayed flights. However, the agency stated that $325,000 of the fine would be suspended if Frontier avoids such violations for the next three years. Frontier declined to comment on the penalty.
Biden Administration’s Consumer Protection Focus
These actions come as part of the Biden administration’s tougher stance on airline consumer protections. Last month, the DOT fined JetBlue Airways $2 million for similar delays.
By targeting major airlines for their scheduling practices, the administration aims to address longstanding concerns about flight disruptions and their impact on travelers.
For consumers, these developments signify a growing push to hold airlines accountable for realistic scheduling and timely service.