DOT Sues Southwest Airlines Over Delays, Fines Frontier for Chronic Lateness

The U.S. Department of Transportation is taking legal aim at Southwest Airlines, claiming the carrier ran “chronically delayed” flights over several months in 2022. These persistent delays allegedly impacted routes between Chicago and Oakland, and between Baltimore and Cleveland, accumulating 180 disruptions. DOT officials insist Southwest scheduled flights too tightly, driving ongoing lateness that hurt travelers’ plans and confidence in the airline.

At the same time, Frontier Airlines faces a $650,000 civil penalty, but half of that amount could be suspended if the carrier avoids further chronic delays in the next three years. This move follows another recent DOT penalty against JetBlue, reflecting a broader crackdown on unrealistic flight scheduling and poor on-time performance among major carriers. While Southwest leadership says these violations are old news and that it’s since improved, regulators aren’t showing much leniency.

In 2024, data from Cirium showed Southwest ranked fifth out of 10 North American carriers for on-time arrivals. Federal agencies, however, have stepped up scrutiny amid safety concerns, scheduling reliability, and a record of repeated disruptions. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg warns all airlines that passenger protections are non-negotiable—hinting more enforcement could be around the corner.