The U.S. Department of Transportation is waiving part of a fine assessed against Southwest Airlines after the company canceled thousands of flights during a winter storm in 2022. Under a 2023 settlement reached by the Biden administration, Southwest agreed to a $140 million civil penalty for violating consumer protection laws. Most of that money went toward compensation for travelers, but the airline agreed to pay $35 million to the U.S. Treasury in three installments. On Friday, the Transportation Department issued an order waiving the final $11 million installment, saying Southwest should get credit for significantly improving its on-time performance and investing in network operations.
