Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan vows to avoid a repeat of last year’s catastrophic holiday delays that left THOUSANDS stranded – and says more workers, training and new cold-weather equipment and tech will prevent stem delays
- Last December, nearly 17,000 Southwest Airlines flights were canceled as a winter storm led to a total system crisis blamed on outdated technology
- It cost Southwest nearly $1.2 billion and the airline was harshly criticized by lawmakers, regulators and passengers
- CEO Bob Jordan has insisted the airline has learned its lesson and overhauled operations with more employees, new cold weather equipment and better systems.
The CEO of Southwest Airlines has vowed to avoid a repeat of last year's catastrophic holiday delays that left thousands stranded at airports during the busy travel season.
Nearly 17,000 flights were canceled last December when a winter storm led to a total system crisis, which executives blamed on the company's outdated technology.
It cost Southwest nearly $1.2 billion and the airline was harshly criticized by lawmakers, regulators and passengers.
CEO Bob Jordan has insisted the company has learned its lesson and overhauled operations over the past year with more employees, new cold-weather equipment and better technology.
āIt was an ugly week,ā he said Bloomberg. āBut that week doesn't define Southwest Airlines. We are ready for winter, absolutely ready.ā
Southwest Airlines' CEO has vowed to avoid a repeat of last year's catastrophic holiday delays that left thousands stranded
Last December, nearly 17,000 flights were canceled as a winter storm led to a total system crisis that executives blamed on the company's outdated technology
CEO Bob Jordan has insisted the company has learned its lesson and overhauled operations over the past year with more employees, new cold-weather equipment and better technology.
More than 39 million people are expected to travel through airports between December 20 and January 2 this year, according to lobby group Airlines for America.
But last year, many air travelers had to wait after Southwest's problems. Thousands of people were stuck in long lines as they tried to seek help with their canceled flights and luggage piling up at airports across the country.
Jordan acknowledged that the airline suffered short-term reputational damage, but emphasized that there is “no indication” that customers are continuing to avoid Southwest.
The company claims that demand 'remains strong' as we enter the busy holiday season and certain corporate bookings are at the higher end of expectations for November and December.
Last year's holiday chaos cost Southwest nearly $1.2 billion and the airline faced harsh criticism from lawmakers, regulators and passengers.
Thousands of people were stuck in large lines as they tried to seek help with their canceled flights and their luggage piling up at airports across the country
Jordan acknowledged that the airline suffered short-term reputational damage, but emphasized that there is “no indication” that customers continue to avoid Southwest
For this year, Southwest has also realigned its network planning with the operations control center, updated the technology used for crew scheduling and communications, and improved early warning systems that detect potential disruptions.
The company introduced a ādisruption podā made up of leaders and other employees who will respond to sudden issues such as hurricanes or storms.
Southwest's new software will coordinate changes to aircraft and flight crew schedules caused by these disruptions.
An early test of the procedures, when eight inches of snow fell in Denver, went well, according to Jordan.
More than 39 million people are expected to travel through airports between December 20 and January 2, according to lobby group Airlines for America.
Southwest has added defrost trucks, trained new employees and updated its systems to better address any issues
New software will coordinate changes to aircraft and flight crew schedules due to disruptions
There were 4,000 flights scheduled that day, of which only seven were canceled.
The Southwest, like most U.S. travel, continues to recover from the slowdown of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the airline says yes is recovering more slowly than expected and remains stuck at 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Jordan warned it could take up to five years for a full recovery, a similar amount of time it took for airlines to recover after September 11.
The slow return meant Southwest changed its plans for the coming year by cutting short-haul routes, which typically appeal to business travelers.