Trump Administration Waives $11 Million Southwest Airlines Fine

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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/us/politics/trump-southwest-airlines-fine.html

Trump Administration Waives $11 Million Southwest Airlines Fine
The penalty was part of a fine imposed by the Biden administration after it determined the airline had failed to provide prompt customer service and refunds to passengers in 2022.
By Adam Sella
Dec. 6, 2025, 7:32 p.m. ET

The Trump administration said on Friday that it would waive an $11 million fine levied against Southwest Airlines over the company’s 2022 holiday travel meltdown, when the airline canceled nearly 17,000 flights around Christmas during a period of severe weather.

The $11 million was part of a $140 million fine that the Biden administration had imposed in 2023, which was the largest penalty the Department of Transportation had applied to an airline for consumer protection violations. The agency had determined that Southwest broke federal law by failing to provide prompt customer service, flight notifications and refunds to about two million passengers during the 2022 holiday season.

After waiting on hold for hours to speak with customer service representatives, many passengers were forced to make expensive, last-minute alternative plans.

The Trump administration’s announcement reflected its more company-friendly response to travel problems caused by large U.S. airlines. The administration last month killed a Biden-era proposal that would have required airlines to pay passengers up to $775 in cash for significant disruptions within carriers’ control.

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