Southwest fined $1.6 million for delays

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Southwest Airlines was fined $1.6 million for failing to offer passengers the option to get off the plane after 16 jets sat on the tarmac at Midway Airport for more than 3 hours.

The delays were because of bad weather.

Southwest was fined for failing to offer passengers the option to get off their plane and for failing to have sufficient staff on hand to handle the problems.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says this is the largest civil penalty ever for violating the tarmac delay rule.