Thousands of US flights canceled due to ‘largest operational error in decades’

The United States has been hit by heavy snowfalls and temperatures that have reached tens of degrees below zero in recent days.

As a result, air traffic across much of the country was severely disrupted. Thousands of flights have been canceled every day since the end of last week.

Inadequate computer system

But while many airlines have now managed to get their affairs in order, that’s not the case for Southwest Airlines. The airline canceled 2,900 flights on Monday and about 2,500 flights on Tuesday and Wednesday. And it may take days for everything to work normally again.

“I’ve never seen so many cancellations in my 20-year career in this industry,” says one expert The New York Times. An inadequate computer system made it difficult to get pilots and cabin crew onto waiting planes and to rebook passengers onto replacement flights.

“A Huge Puzzle”

The way Southwest Airlines arranges flights has also caused problems to pile up. What started with misery at one airport soon led to cancellations elsewhere. Experts speak to the American newspaper of ‘collapse’.

The airline’s chief executive said in a video message to travelers last night that he was doing his best to solve “the huge puzzle” as quickly as possible.

More than sixty dead

Large parts of the United States have been shut down in recent days due to extreme winter weather which has also claimed many lives. The death toll has now risen to more than 60.

Many people died, especially in and around Buffalo in upstate New York. There, at least 32 people died from the snow and cold. One of the dead in Buffalo is a 22-year-old died in her car.

It is expected to continue snowing in the coming days. Next, people have to be careful of flooding due to the large amount of meltwater.

Frustrated travellers

Meanwhile, hundreds of frustrated travelers are taking their toll American media. People are stuck in airports, often without luggage because it has already left.

The situation has even worsened today as the US Department of Transportation says it will investigate the large number of cancellations.

Few problems Schiphol

Those flying from Schiphol to North America do not seem to be affected by the extreme winter weather. According to the flight schedule, flights to North American destinations such as New York, Detroit, Philadelphia, Calgary and Toronto will continue.

A Schiphol spokesman says a single flight arriving from North America is delayed.