The agency said the U.S. District Court lawsuit it filed in California on Wednesday alleges that Southwest illegally operated chronically delayed flights and disrupted passengers' travel plans. It says it's seeking "maximum civil penalties."
The Transportation Department said its investigation found that Dallas-based Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights – one between Chicago Midway International Airport and Oakland, California, and another between Baltimore, Maryland and Cleveland, Ohio.
In a statement, Southwest said it was disappointed that the agency focused on flights from more than two years ago and pointed instead to its long-term record.
The department fined Frontier Airlines $650,000 in civil penalties, with $325,000 to be paid to the U.S. Treasury and the remaining $325,000 to be suspended if the carrier does not operate any chronically delayed flights in the next three years. Frontier, based in Denver, declined to comment.
Aviation data provider Cirium said in a report released this month that Southwest ranked fifth among the 10 North American airlines it evaluated for their on-time performance, with 77.8% of arrivals and a little under 77% of departures last year taking place in a timely way. By comparison, top-ranked Delta Air Lines scored 83.5% for arrivals and 83.7% for departures.
Last year, federal regulators increased their scrutiny of Southwest Airlines after a series of incidents, including flying at very low altitudes while still miles away from an airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said in July it wanted to ensure the carrier was complying with federal safety regulations. The FAA declined to provide details but noted that it continually adjusts oversight of airlines based on risk.
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