After settling a six-year dispute with military employees , Southwest landed another major reprieve: the U.S. government waived the final $11 million of its civil fine for the 2022 holiday meltdown that stranded roughly two million travelers.

Southwest's outdated systems collapsed during a severe winter storm in Christmas 2022, causing over 17,000 cancellations, stranded passengers, lost bags, and a $140 million USDOT fine plus more than $600 million in refunds.

The DOT said Southwest's subsequent investment in technology and operations upgrades after the historic ten-day meltdown is justification for waiving its final payment due next month.

How did the airline get the waiver, and what had happened that led to it?

Southwest Airlines Gets A $11 Million Waiver From The U.S. Transpor

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