Southwest Airlines Co. was sued by the U.S. Transportation Department for allegedly violating rules that require airlines to set and meet realistic flight schedules.
The carrier was responsible for “unlawful chronic flight delays” that disrupted passengers’ travel plans, the agency said Wednesday in a statement. The Transportation Department said it would seek “maximum civil penalties” against Southwest in the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Oakland, California.
Southwest said in a separate statement that it was “disappointed that DOT chose to file a lawsuit over two flights that occurred more than two years