"Southwest passengers have experienced unacceptable disruptions and customer service conditions. I have made clear to their executives that our department will hold Southwest accountable for making things right with their customers and employees," Buttigieg tweeted.
Buttigieg also called on other airlines to cap fares on certain routes to help people impacted by Southwest’s cancellations get home.
Southwest is unable to locate where their own crews, passengers, and baggage are located amid systems issues, Buttigieg said in an interview.
Nearly 2,900 flights were canceled on Tuesday as severe winter weather continues to impact parts of the US, according to the FlightAware website. The majority of canceled flights – 2,522 – were operated by Southwest Airlines.
The Transportation Department on Monday said it was probing the cancellation issue and whether Southwest is complying with its customer service plan.