US fines Southwest US$140 million for airline case from a year ago

The Department of Transportation of the United States Government (DOT) imposed a fine of US$ 140 million on the airline this Monday. southwest due to the airport chaos last year, when 16,900 flights were canceled and 2 million people were grounded during the summer holidays. Christmas.

In a statement, the DOT recalls that this fine is 30 times greater than any other previously imposed for violating consumer rights, and is also added to the 600 million that southwest had to pay in the form of compensation – in accommodation, menus and transportation – to the affected passengers “as a result of DOT actions.”

The fine announced today will, in fact, serve to compensate future passengers affected by cancellations or delays of the airline.

Southwest, with 815 aircraft serving 121 destinations and nearly 80,000 employees, is considered one of “the big four” airlines in the country, along with American AirlinesUnited and Delta.

The DOT stressed in its statement the exemplary nature of the sanction, which “sets a precedent and sends a clear message: if airlines defraud their passengers, we will use the full force of our authority to hold them accountable (…) This fine is a warning to airlines to take all necessary measures.” so that chaos like this never happens again.”

According to the department, Southwest violated three basic consumer rights: it did not provide adequate customer assistance, it did not provide sufficient notice of flight cancellations or delays, and it did not compensate those affected promptly and appropriately.