The U.S. Transportation Department is taking a firm stance against persistent flight delays, recently filing a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines and imposing fines on Frontier Airlines. The department's lawsuit, filed in California, alleges that Southwest operated chronically delayed flights, causing disruptions to passengers' travel plans. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasized that airlines have a legal obligation to provide realistic departure and arrival times for travelers.
The investigation revealed that Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights between Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, California, and Baltimore, Maryland, and Cleveland, Ohio. These flights experienced delays for five consecutive months, resulting in 180 disruptions for passengers between April and August 2022.
