Senate Committee plans hearings on Southwest Airlines meltdown

(Washington, DC) -- The chair of the Senate Commerce Committee said this week that the panel intends to hold hearings after Southwest Airlines canceled nearly 16-thousand flights last week.

Senator Maria Cantwell said on Wednesday that she'd spoken to Southwest CEO Bob Jordan and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about the issue.

The Washington Democrat said her committee will hold hearings "to examine how to strengthen consumer protections and airline operations."

Southwest has apologized for the canceled flights and offered some frequent flyer miles for those affected, but still have been criticized for 'not doing enough' after the meltdown.