Summary
- Southwest Airlines had faced massive delays on May 29, 2024, with over 1,495 flights delayed or canceled due to IT problems.
- However, the airline emphasized that flights on May 30 should not be affected.
- The outage was after Texas experienced severe weather on May 28, resulting in flight disruptions across the state.
An IT-related issue has forced Southwest Airlines to delay and cancel flights on May 29, 2024. While the problem was resolved quickly, passengers still had to face significant flight disruptions, with over 1,400 delayed flights on that day.
Delayed or canceled flights
According to data by FlightAware, Southwest Airlines suffered delays on 1,495 flights, or 36% of its total flying program, on May 29. Meanwhile, data from Flightradar24, provided upon request by Simple Flying, showed that the airline had to cancel 40 flights on the day.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
In a statement to Simple Flying, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson confirmed that the airline had to resolve a technology issue that was caused by a power outage at one of its facilities in Dallas, Texas, the United States. While it was able to continue operating flights, some of its itineraries were affected by the outage, resulting in delays throughout its system on May 29. However, flights on May 30 should not be affected, according to the company’s representative.
Related
Southwest Emphasizes Appealing Features Of Future Boeing 737 MAX Recaro R2 Seats
The airline revealed the new seats at the 2024 Aircraft Interiors Expo.
Severe weather in Texas
The outage came shortly after Texas experienced severe weather, resulting in significant flight disruptions on May 28. Flightradar24 data showed that on that day, out of 353 scheduled departures out of Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), only 232 had departed the airport.
DAL is one of the major bases for Southwest Airlines. Overall, the low-cost carrier had canceled 211 flights on May 28, according to statistics that Flightradar24 provided to Simple Flying. This includes DAL and other airports across the US.
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Meanwhile, on the other side of the town, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) also experienced flight disruptions, with the flight tracking service’s records showing that out of 1,065 flights, only 768 had departed the airport.
The severe weather also resulted in American Airlines Boeing 737-800, registered as N878NN, being dislodged from the jet bridge that it was connected to at DFW. Videos shared on social media, including X, formerly known as Twitter, showed the aircraft being blown away from its jet bridge.
In a statement to Simple Flying, American Airlines confirmed that severe weather had affected its operations at DFW. Furthermore, its maintenance teams on the ground were inspecting the Boeing 737-800, with Flightradar24 logs showing that its flights were canceled on May 29.
Related
American Airlines Boeing 737-800 Dislodges From Gate Due To Severe Weather At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
No one was injured and the airline’s maintenance teams are conducting thorough investigations.
In late 2022, during the Christmas holiday travel period, Southwest Airlines suffered a major outage, resulting in significant operational disruptions for its crews and passengers throughout the country. According to a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on January 6, 2023, Southwest Airlines had to cancel more than 16,700 flights between December 21 and December 31, 2022, estimating that its Q4 2022 loss would be impacted by a pre-tax impact of $725 million to $825 million. The airline also said that a significant portion, namely between $400 million and $425 million, of that impact was lost revenue.
Photo: Steve Heap | Shutterstock
In Q4 2022, the airline posted a net loss of $220 million, ending the year with a net income of $539 million. In its Q1 2023 report, Southwest Airlines disclosed that its quarterly net loss of $159 million stemmed from the net financial impact of around $294 million after-tax that was related to the December 2022 operational meltdown.
Related
Southwest Airlines Fined $140 Million For Last Winter’s Meltdown
In addition to its fine, Southwest Airlines will establish a compensation policy for canceled or delayed flights, giving affected passengers $75.