In a letter sent Monday evening, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) and Alex Padilla (D–Calif.) demanded that the Department of Transportation levy heavy penalties on airlines for canceling flights. According to CNN, the letter instructs the department to "aggressively" penalize airlines that cancel flights for reasons unrelated to severe weather.
The letter proposes punishing airlines with a "hefty" fine for canceled flights, arguing that the department should act as a "consumer protection watchdog," which is legally able to fine airlines up to $37,377 per violation of federal law. According to Reuters, the senators wrote that the department should "impose fines designed to change airlines' calculus about harming consumers to pad their own profits."
