The U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Justice jointly filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) for operating "chronically delayed flights" that caused disruptions to passengers. 

The Details: DOT said its investigation found Southwest operated two chronically delayed flights, resulting in 180 flight disruptions for passengers between April and August 2022. DOT rules define a chronically delayed flight as one that is flown at least 10 times a month and arrives more than 30 minutes late more than 50% of the time. 

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"As part of our commitment to supporting passenger rights and fairness in the market for airline travel, we are suing Southwest Airlines for disrupting passengers' travel with unlawful chronic flight delays," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. 

"Airlines have a legal obligation to ensure that their flight schedules provide travelers with realistic departure and arrival times. Today’s action sends a message to all airlines that the Department is prepared to go to court in order to enforce passenger protections," Buttigieg added. 

Southwest responded with a statement that it was "disappointed that DOT chose to file a lawsuit over two flights that occurred more than two years ago."

"Any claim that these two flights represent an unrealistic schedule is simply not credible when compared with our performance over the past 15 years," Southwest said.

The lawsuit against Southwest comes only 12 days after the DOT fined JetBlue Airways Corp. (NASDAQ:JBLU) $2 million for chronic flight delays, which marked the first time an airline had been fined for chronic flight delays. 

LUV Price Action: According to Benzinga Pro, Southwest Airlines shares are trading flat after-hours on Wednesday at $32.83.

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