The American company Southwest, which canceled more than 15,000 flights in eight days and caused a stir in airports in the United States, promised that its operations would gradually return to normal on Friday.
The disruptions started with the extreme cold and heavy snowfall that hit the country just before Christmas and affected all airlines. But traffic resumed more or less Tuesday, except for Southwest. According to the FlightAware site, 57% of the company’s flights were canceled on Thursday.
Company unions have challenged Southwest’s outdated computer systems, including those affecting crews. The problems have affected the company all the more since its network is much more dispersed than that of its competitors, whose flights are concentrated in one or more key airports.
Under fire from critics
“We are encouraged by the progress we have made in realigning crews, their schedules and our fleet,” the group said on its website on Thursday.
“As we head into another long holiday weekend filled with important connections for our customers and employees, we look forward to a return to business as usual,” he added.
The company has been criticized for its cascade of cancellations, difficulties in contacting its customer service and the large amount of luggage accumulated at airports. Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg said he would take a close look at “what happened to their system”.
Source: BFM TV
