The U.S. Department of Transportation has officially pulled back its lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, which was filed over claims of consistently delayed flights on a pair of domestic routes. The original case focused on service between Chicago Midway and Oakland, and between Baltimore and Cleveland.
According to data from the agency, these flights had repeatedly arrived more than 30 minutes late during a five-month period in 2022. That was enough to meet the DOT’s threshold for what it classifies as “chronically delayed.” The suit was filed in January 2025, just before the change in administration.
Regulations state that a flight is considered chronically delayed if it runs at least ten times per month and shows arrival delays over 50 percent of the time. The lawsuit aimed to enforce passenger protection standards, with civil penalties on the table for repeated violations.
Southwest had argued that the delays came during a particularly unstable period, as the airline industry was still recovering from pandemic-related workforce shortages and unpredictable travel surges. A company spokesperson said that the airline has since made major operational changes and is in a much better position to handle demand today.
In 2024, Southwest’s on-time performance was just shy of 78 percent, ranking alongside American Airlines, which posted nearly identical numbers. Both airlines were tied for fourth place in the North American market, based on available industry data.
Southwest has also made several internal changes aimed at improving the passenger experience. These include retrofitting aircraft to offer more legroom and exploring changes to its baggage policy, including the possible introduction of checked bag fees for the first time.