On Monday, the U.S. Department of Transportation levied a $140 million fine on airline carrier Southwest Airlines for its major travel fiasco during the 2022 holiday season.
Southwest was found to have committed “numerous violations of consumer protection laws during and after the operational failures” that occurred in December 2022, which left more than 2 million passengers stranded across a 10-day period.
“If airlines fail their passengers, we will use the full extent of our authority to hold them accountable,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement.
The fine marks the largest penalty ever issued by the DOT.
