US waives $11m fine for Southwest Airlines over 2022 holiday meltdown | Trump administration

The Trump administration announced Saturday that it would waive the $11 million fine imposed on Southwest Airlines as part of a $140 million settlement following the carrier’s collapse in December 2022, during a busy holiday season.

Southwest agreed in December 2023 to pay a $35 million fine over three years for the airline’s handling of the collapse that stranded more than 2 million passengers. It also agreed to provide $90 million in travel vouchers worth $75 or more to passengers delayed at least three hours in arriving at their final destination due to a problem or cancellation caused by the airline.

Southwest has decided to invest more than $1 billion in its operations to improve performance and reliability since the 2022 crisis. And the U.S. Department of Transportation, in a written order, cited the airline’s decision to explain why it was waiving the remaining $11 million of the fine that was due by the end of January.