DOT is probing whether or not Southwest’s schedules have been ‘unrealistic’ throughout vacation meltdown

The Transportation Division stated Wednesday that it’s within the preliminary part of an investigation of Southwest Airways‘ vacation meltdown and taking a look at whether or not the service’s schedules was unrealistic.

Southwest has stated it canceled greater than 16,000 flights between Dec. 21 and Dec. 31 because it struggled to recuperate from extreme winter climate whereas executives stated they needed to cancel much more flights to regular the operation.

The corporate and labor unions have pointed to outmoded scheduling platforms that weren’t designed to deal with the variety of flight modifications that occurred over that interval.

“DOT can also be probing whether or not Southwest executives engaged in unrealistic scheduling of flights which beneath federal legislation is taken into account an unfair and misleading follow,” a DOT spokesperson stated. “DOT will leverage the complete extent of its investigative and enforcement energy to make sure customers are protected and this course of will proceed to evolve because the Division learns extra.”

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has beforehand vowed to carry Southwest accountable for the disruptions, which left a whole lot of hundreds of vacationers stranded.

“Our vacation flight schedule was thoughtfully designed and supplied to our Clients with the backing of a strong plan to function it, and with ample staffing,” Southwest stated in a press release late Wednesday. “We are going to proceed to cooperate with any inquiry or request from authorities oversight or elected officers. We’re acutely centered on studying from this occasion, mitigating the danger of a repeat prevalence, and delivering the hospitality and excellent service our Clients count on from us.”

Southwest is scheduled to report outcomes earlier than the market opens on Thursday.