Southwest Airlines criticized by passengers, Transportation Department as flights delayed nationwide

Thousands of Southwest Airlines flights were delayed or canceled nationwide on Monday, leading to growing criticism of the airline from disgruntled passengers and the federal government.

The airline canceled 2,886 flights on Monday, or 70% of scheduled flights, amid a winter storm impacting portions of the country, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Every airline has had to cancel or delay flights over the last several days, but Southwest's totals are particularly high.

Of the more than 160 flight cancelations and more than 340 delays at Los Angeles International Airport that left...