U.S. Department of Transportation officials are investigating Dallas-based Southwest Airlines over whether the carrier’s holiday meltdown that stranded millions of travelers was caused by overscheduling flights.
The regulatory agency said Wednesday that it’s stepping up the investigation into Southwest’s potential shortcomings and pledged a “rigorous and comprehensive” examination of the holiday debacle.
“DOT is also probing whether Southwest executives engaged in unrealistic scheduling of flights which under federal law is considered an unfair and deceptive practice,” a Department of Transportation spokesperson said in a statement. “DOT will leverage the full extent of its investigative and enforcement power to ensure consumers are protected.”
