DOT ensured Southwest paid over $600 million back to passengers and issued record penalty – 30 times larger than any in DOT history – to deter other airlines from failing to protect customers during disruptions / WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today announced a $140 million civil penalty against Southwest Airlines for numerous violations of consumer protection laws during and after the operational failures that cancelled 16,900 flights and stranded over two million passengers over the 2022 Christmas holiday and into the New Year. This penalty is 30 times larger than any previous DOT penalty for consumer protection violations. The majority of the penalty will go towards compensating future Southwest passengers affected by cancellations or significant delays caused by the airline. (....)