WASHINGTON—U.S. lawmakers are upping pressure on the U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) to hold airlines accountable for operational disruptions following in the wake of Southwest Airlines’ holiday meltdown.
Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, along with 25 colleagues, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging him “to use the full weight of your agency to hold Southwest Airlines accountable, provide stronger consumer protections for passengers and help prevent these types of mass cancellations from occurring in the future.”
Southwest has said it canceled more than 16,700 flights from Dec. 21 to Dec. 31.
In the letter, the lawmakers highlighted that more than 45,000 flights, roughly 2.5% of scheduled service, were canceled from June 1 to Aug. 31, 2022.
“Unless immediate action is taken, the rising threat of mass flight cancellations risks jeopardizing Americans’ confidence in the reliability of our nation’s air transportation network,” the letter stated.
The lawmakers commended the DOT on its progress in expanding the rights of airline passengers, including its airline dashboard, which they concluded helped secure commitments from airlines to cover the costs of rebooking, hotels and meals and transportation if the airline is at fault. DOT has also issued proposed rulemaking attempting to codify and provide more clarity for passengers over when to expect a refund.
But in light of the recent operational disruptions at Southwest, “we believe much more needs to be done,” the letter said.
The legislators suggested DOT could ensure passengers and airlines can effectively communicate with one another to allow passengers to swiftly receive owed compensation after a canceled or significantly delayed flight. They also said DOT should ensure airlines “are able to maintain a reasonable level of operational capabilities in the event of extreme weather or other type of potential disruption.”
They acknowledged not all disruptions are within an airline’s control, “But issuing rules and standards that could help limit or prevent future cancellations and delays arising from these initial disruptions will ultimately benefit consumers much more than any reimbursement policy ever could.”
The lawmakers believe the suggested actions are within DOT’s existing legal authorities. However, they requested DOT to “identify and provide for this Committee any additional legal authorities the Department many need in order to further bolster protections for airline passengers.”
Additionally, the legislators said that “as we consider the upcoming 2023 FAA reauthorization,” they look forward to working with DOT to address challenges preventing a favorable airline passenger experience.
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