Southwest Airline’s Operational Meltdown During the Holidays

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“We are past the point where they [Southwest Airline] could say that this is a weather-driven issue. What this indicates is a system failure, and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they are provided adequate compensation.”  ~ U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

Southwest Airlines has cancelled thousands of commercial flights during the Christmas holiday period after a severe winter storm created an operational crisis that left passengers stranded during the Christmas holiday travel season, one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

While all U.S. airlines experienced flight cancellations en masse due to extreme winter weather, most other airlines were able to resume normal flight operations after the conditions cleared up ― while Southwest’s cancellation rate got worse, all during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year when people fly around the country to be with family for the winter holidays.

The Texas-based airline’s troubles appear to be tied to its uncommon operational configuration, The New York Times reported.

While most airlines have their planes return to a “hub” airport after flying out to other cities, Southwest typically has its planes fly from city to city without returning to a hub ― making it difficult to strategize and arrange plane availability after weather causes mass delays.

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan commented that his company is in the process of regrouping and he hopes operations will resume normally before the week’s end.

“Our plan for the next few days is to fly a reduced schedule and reposition our people and planes,” Jordan said. “We’re making headway, and we’re optimistic to be back on track before next week.”
But that does little for stranded Southwest passengers who’ve had to drop large amounts of money booking new flights with other airlines and paying for lodging while they wait for Southwest to rebook them.

On Southwest’s website, the company posted the following “under” statement:

“We are currently experiencing operational disruptions and are working diligently and safely to restore normal flight schedules as quickly as possible.”

According to aviation experts, the Southwest Airlines meltdown has its root in outdated technology that analysts and its unions have warned about for years. The carrier’s operations created chaos at airports across the nation. And the ripple effects for travelers could last for some time.

References:

  1. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/buttigieg-southwest-airlines_n_63ac8dc3e4b0b2e1505d973a/amp
  2. https://www.southwest.com/traveldisruption/?clk=TA-IRREGULAR-OPERATIONS-MWEB&channel=mweb&pageId=home-mobile-index&datachannel=mobile
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