Southwest Airlines Experiences New Flight Disruptions Amid Ongoing โtechnology Concerns
southwest Airlines is facing fresh operational issues,โ with customersโ reporting flight delays dueโ to โข”intermittent technology issues,” โthe airline stated on social media. The latest problems arrive months after a near-collapse of the airline’s winter โฃschedule,raising concerns about the effectiveness of recent system upgrades.
The disruptions impact travelers as Southwest continues to address vulnerabilities exposed during a massive holidayโค travel meltdown. Between December 20 adn 29, the airline canceledโ over 16,700 flights – roughly half of its planned schedule – initially triggered by a severe winter storm. However, Southwest’s โฃrecovery was considerably โhampered by an outdated crew scheduling system and manual processes.
The December cancellations stemmed from the โairline’s inability to efficiently reassign crews after widespread disruptions. โUnlike other carriers, Southwest crew members were โrequired to call in to report their availability, ratherโค than โusing an electronic system, quickly โoverwhelming โthe airline’s resources. The resulting chaos lead to some days seeing as many as 75% of scheduled flights grounded.
Southwest acknowledgedโค the inconvenience caused by the new issues, statingโค via social media, “We apologize for โขany inconvenience thisโ may cause, โคbut we’re hoping to โคget everyone going ASAP.” Last month, the airline unveiled an “action plan” aimed at preventing future operational meltdowns, following scrutiny over its handling โขof the holiday โฃcrisis, which reportedly cost the airline millions.