Why Is Southwest Canceling Thousands More Flights Than Other Airlines?
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Southwest Airlines canceled over 2,500 more flights on Wednesday — many times more than other airlines — amid nationwide flight troubles due to winter storms.
Latest Developments: A Denver International Airport official told The Hill (Center bias) that about 1,000 travelers were forced to sleep at the airport Monday night after Southwest’s cancellations. Baggage claims also filled up with luggage as airports managed both the expected surge of holiday travelers and travelers with canceled flights. Rival airlines like Delta and United began capping ticket prices in some cities to help stranded travelers, a move praised by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
How Did This Happen? Airlines have faced staffing issues since the travel industry began recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic; according to a Bloomberg (Lean Left bias) report, a Southwest executive warned of an “operational emergency” due to staffing shortages in key cities days before the recent winter storms. However, unions representing Southwest’s pilots and flight attendants pointed to vulnerable and outdated computer systems, which struggled amid the chaos and reportedly forced flight attendants to keep track of passengers manually. Furthermore, one Southwest flight was diverted from its destination on Wednesday due to a “potential mechanical issue.”
How the Media Covered It: Coverage was widespread across the spectrum on Thursday morning, including in local outlets across the country. While coverage was mostly nonpolitical regardless of the outlet’s bias rating, coverage from the right was slightly more likely to focus on Buttigieg. Update 10:10 a.m. ET: Previous version incorrectly stated that the 1,000 Denver travelers were stranded Wednesday night, instead of Monday night.
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