Southwest Airlines agrees to $140m penalty over 2022 holiday meltdown

Amount is larger than all other penalties assessed by US transportation department since 1996 combined

Southwest Airlines has agreed to a record-setting $140m civil penalty over the December 2022 holiday meltdown that led to 16,900 flight cancellations and stranded 2 million passengers.

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) consent order resolves a lengthy government investigation into the giant travel disruption and provides a strong deterrent", the agency said.