U.S. Government Is Suing TWO Major Airlines Due to Chronically Delayed Flights

Air travel can be frustrating at times, especially when you are dealing with delayed or canceled flights.

Air travel can be frustrating!

It seems the U.S. Department of Transportation also agrees. The U.S. government is taking a stand against chronically delayed flights and has announced two lawsuits against major airline companies.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is suing two popular airlines for chronically delayed flights. On January 15th, the DOT announced lawsuits against both Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines for operating multiple chronically delayed flights.

Southwest Airlines at MCO

Operating chronically delayed flights can harm passengers and fair competition in the airline industry. It results in passengers not receiving reliable scheduling information and, in some cases, allows airlines to capture business unfairly through misleading information.

Frontier Airlines at MCO

DOT rules state that a flight is chronically delayed if “it is flown at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than 50 percent of the time.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated that “Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times.” Also, regarding the lawsuits against Southwest and Frontier, he stated that their “action sends a message to all airlines that the Department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections.”

©Southwest

DOT’s investigation found that Southwest has been operating two chronically delayed flights, resulting in 180 flight disruptions between April and August 2022. One flight is between Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, California, and the other is between Baltimore, Maryland, and Cleveland, Ohio. Also, DOT found that Frontier Airlines “held out three chronically delayed flights between August 2022 and April 2023 at least 63 times.”

Frontier Airlines

DOT is seeking maximum civil penalties against Southwest Airlines and fined Frontier $650,000 in civil penalties. $325,000 is to be paid to the U.S. Treasury, with the remaining $325,000 having the potential to be suspended if Frontier does not operate any chronically delayed flights in the next three years.

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