US Justice Department withdraws lawsuit against Southwest Airlines

Business Business: The US Justice Department late Friday withdrew a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines that the Biden administration filed in its final days. The suit accused the airline of illegally operating flights that were consistently late.

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) in January alleged that Southwest ran unrealistic flight schedules and sought the highest civil penalty. According to the USDOT, for five months in 2022, Southwest operated two flights consistently late, one between Chicago Midway and Oakland, California, and the other between Baltimore and Cleveland.

Southwest Airlines on Friday welcomed the USDOT’s decision and said these flights were affected due to unusual problems faced by the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Southwest said it has operated more than 20 million flights since 2009 and has committed no other violations.