Install the Sina Finance client to receive the most complete market information for the first time→【Link to download】
Original Title: Southwest Airlines (LUV.US) Over 80% Flights Canceled or Delayed Due to Heavy Snowstorm Over Weekend
Affected by the winter blizzard that hit the United States, Southwest Airlines (LUV.US) operational problems in the United States escalated rapidly. The airline was forced to cancel nearly 3,000 flights and delay hundreds more, disrupting more than 80% of its schedule.
The number of canceled flights on Monday means Southwest is responsible for nearly three-quarters of flight cancellations in the United States. In the US airline industry, recovery is the buzzword after a weekend of travel partnerships.
Southwest apologized for the “unacceptable” disruption, saying 23 of its 25 major airports were affected by the storm despite the airline operating at full capacity for the holidays.
“As our operating network experiences consecutive days of extreme winter weather, the ongoing challenges are having a significant impact on our customers and employees in an unacceptable way,” the company said. The storm “has forced us to change flights to daily basis”. and intensity of which still provide our teams with the tools to restore the airline to full capacity.”
Travelers took to social media to vent about the unrest, which added to a dismal year for the U.S. airline industry during the busy holiday season. Southwest shares are down 16% this year through Dec. 23, on track for a third straight year of declines and the worst drop since a similar run ended in 2008.
The weekend snowstorm hit swathes of the United States and Canada, with record snowfall in the Midwest and in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo was the hardest hit area by the snowstorm, with as many as 27 deaths reported.
Operational deterioration
Southwest Airlines canceled 67% of its flights on Monday, even more than the 42% canceled on Sunday, according to flight tracking software FlightAware. By comparison, Delta Air Lines (DLA.US), which canceled 21% of its flights on Sunday, canceled just 8% of its flights on Monday. FlightAware said 18% of Southwest’s flights were delayed.
Unlike competitors who use a so-called hub-and-spoke system to transport passengers to large airports, Southwest Airlines focuses on point-to-point service, using the sameboeingThe 737 flies throughout the United States.
Southwest Airlines is the largest carrier in Buffalo, the urban area hardest hit by the storm and at the center of Monday’s continued severe weather. While that was one reason for Monday’s turmoil, FlightAware data showed Southwest struggled in cities where it has major operations, including Dallas, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
The turmoil brought back memories of other collaborations at Southwest and elsewhere. Southwest blamed worker shortages, air traffic control disruptions and bad weather for a four-day disruption in late 2021 that resulted in 3,100 flight cancellations. In 2007, JetBlue cut 1,102 flights, nearly a third of its schedule, in six days after an ice storm hit on Valentine’s Day.
Massive information, accurate interpretation, all in the Sina Finance APP
Responsible editor: Yu Jian SF069
