Transportation Department Investigating if 'Unrealistic Scheduling' Contributed to Southwest Airlines Chaos

President Joe Biden’s Department of Transportation (DOT) is investigating to see if “unrealistic scheduling” contributed to Southwest Airlines’ holiday travel chaos as the department attempts to build credibility after weeks of mishaps.

A DOT spokesperson provided an update on its investigation into the holiday travel chaos, which saw Southwest Airlines canceling thousands of flights, leaving even more stranded and unable to arrive at their final holiday destinations at the busiest time of year.

The department said it is in the beginning phase of what it described as a “rigorous and comprehensive investigation into Southwest Airlines’ holiday debacle that stranded millions.” Further, the DOT said it is considering “whether Southwest executives engaged in unrealistic scheduling of flights which under federal law is considered an unfair and deceptive practice.”

“DOT will leverage the full extent of its investigative and enforcement power to ensure consumers are protected and this process will continue to evolve as the Department learns more,” the spokesperson added.

The investigation comes roughly a month after the height of the chaos, as Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights ahead of Christmas and beyond as a winter storm battered the country. On Christmas Day alone, Southwest canceled 1,635 flights and thousands more day by day, reaching approximately 17,000 canceled flights over the course of the holidays.

At the time, the airline said it was facing “operational challenges,” prompting a message directly from Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan, who partially attributed the challenges to the massive winter storm, as well as the airline’s “highly complex” system.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg admitted he was not aware of the issues with Southwest Airlines’ technology.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg speaks during a daily press briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House April 9, 2021, in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images).

“I don’t run Southwest Airlines, but I do regulate them. And so, what we’re doing right now is using the full force of this department to make sure customers get taken care of,” he said at the time.

As Southwest continued its recovery from the holiday chaos, a mass system failure temporarily grounded commercial U.S. flights earlier this month, leading to thousands of delayed flights — an incident blamed on contractors.

The JFK Airport has also had its share of incidents this month, as two planes nearly collided on the runway, and days later, a JetBlue plane clipped an empty aircraft.

Meanwhile, Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, is candidly warning that travel woes may worsen this year.

“The system simply can’t handle the volume today, much less the anticipated growth,” Kirby said. “There are a number of airlines who cannot fly their schedules. The customers are paying the price.”

Department of Transportation Investigating if ‘Unrealistic Scheduling’ Contributed to Southwest Airlines Chaos

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