MDL Sought for Lawsuits Involving Southwest Airlines’ Flight Cancellations

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A California woman whose travel was disrupted during the 2022 Christmas season when Southwest Airlines Co. canceled a massive amount of flights has asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to create a docket for the ensuing lawsuits, arguing they involve common questions of fact.

In a May 30 motion, Mary Smith says the actions should be centralized in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, where two of the four actions are located.

According to Smith’s action, which is pending in the Southern District of California, Southwest breached its contracts by refusing to …