On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) filed a lawsuit in a San Francisco court against Southwest Airlines over “unlawful, chronic flight delays,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced in a Jan. 15 statement.

The DOT filed a lawsuit against Southwest Airlines, citing a pattern of chronic delays, as the government pushes for stricter accountability.

Southwest is disappointed that DOT chose to file a lawsuit over two flights that occurred more than two years ago," a spokesperson for the airline said.

A lawsuit filed against Southwest alleges the airline operated multiple “chronically delayed” flights affecting thousands of passengers.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their schedules list realistic departure and arrival times.

Southwest Airlines is being sued and Frontier Airlines fined over chronic flight delays by the Department of Transportation, the DOT announced Wednesday. Why it matters: Wednesday's announcement by the outgoing Biden administration's Transportation Secretary,

The Department of Transportation is suing Southwest Airlines, accusing it of operating two “chronically delayed flights” in 2022 that resulted in 180 flight disruptions.

The agency is seeking civil penalties against Southwest Airlines, and also fined Frontier Airlines for its continuous delays.

Having assessed a first-of-its-kind fine for “chronic flight delays” against JetBlue Airways, federal regulators have now moved to penalize both Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines for similar infractions.

The lawsuit alleges Southwest illegally operated chronically delayed flights and disrupted passengers' travel plans.

The DOT is aiming to send a message to all airlines that it will go to court to enforce passenger protections.

The lawsuit filed in California alleges that Southwest illegally operated chronically delayed flights and disrupted passengers’ travel plans.