United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Southwest hit with record penalty over infamous meltdown
Southwest Airiness agreed a huge $140 million penalty over its infamous system meltdown a year ago.
The US Department of Transportation civil penalty is the highest ever and is a ‘a strong deterrent’, the US DOT said.
The airline’s operational meltdown stranded two million passengers with 16,900 flights cancelled during last year’s Christmas holidays.
The disruption lasted more than a week.
Southwest will pay a $35 million cash fine and set aside a $90 million fund for ‘future Southwest passengers affected by cancellations or significant delays.’
The incident has already cost the airline about $1 billion in extra costs for passenger compensation, added labor costs and upgrades to its systems.
“This sends a message that every airline has to make the proper investments in having a good enough system and customer service,” Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
“If airlines fail their passengers, we will use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable”.
“It was a historic storm that led to a historic week of operational disruption,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said.
The DOT said Southwest violated consumer protection laws by failing to provide adequate flight status notifications and prompt compensation.
Related News Stories: 2022 Southwest Airlines scheduling crisis - Wikipedia All content Archive | December 2023 | IT Pro Southwest Airlines' $140 million fine over 16,900 canceled flights ... Tornado Survivor Stories SMU Scandal: The 1987 NCAA Death Penalty | TIME 23. The Great Depression | THE AMERICAN YAWP Millions of U.S. Cellphones Could Be Vulnerable to Chinese ... Boeing's tragedy: The fall of an American icon | Euronews FAA is Investigating New Incident Involving a Boeing 737 Max 8 Jet ... Sitemap: July 18, 2011
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Report: Cruise guest died after ship lashed in heavy storm
British teen in serious condition after paraglider collision