Southwest Airlines flights delayed in U.S. after technical issue grounded planes
Southwest Airlines planes were grounded nationwide for what the airline called an intermittent technology issue, causing more than 1,700 flight delays Tuesday just four months after the carrier suffered a meltdown over the Christmas travel rush.
The hold on departures was lifted by late morning, shortly after it was announced, according to Southwest and the Federal Aviation Administration, but not before traffic at airports from Denver to New York City backed up. “Southwest has resumed operations after temporarily pausing flight activity this morning to work through data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure,” the Dallas airline said in a prepared statement. “Early this morning, a vendor-supplied firewall went down and connection to some operational data was unexpectedly lost.”The airline urged customers to check on their flight status “and explore self-service options” for travel as the airline worked on restoring its operation.
Tuesday’s flight freeze was brief, but it added to the picture of an airline that has struggled more than most with technology issues. CEO Robert Jordan has embarked on a campaign to repair the airline’s damaged reputation.In December, Southwest canceled nearly 17,000 flights over the Christmas holiday due to bad weather and its crew-scheduling system becoming overwhelmed. Those cancellations cost the airline more than $1 billion. The Transportation Department is investigating the breakdown.
Southwest said last month it would add deicing equipment and increase staffing during winter weather that is cold enough to limit the amount of time that ground workers can stay outside.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Southwest Airlines halts flight departures amid technology issue - BNN BloombergSouthwest Airlines Co. halted flights nationwide as the carrier said it was dealing with 'intermittent technology issues.'
Read more »
Alabama birthday party shooting kills at least 4 people, many hurt - National | Globalnews.caFour people were killed and multiple others were injured during a shooting Saturday night at a teenager's birthday party in Dadeville, Ala,
Read more »
G7 ministers pledge to phase out coal — but no timeline set - National | Globalnews.caEnvironment and energy ministers from G7 countries promised to work to end new coal-fired power projects that don't take steps to mitigate emissions.
Read more »
Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza jailed for 25 years in treason case - National | Globalnews.caState prosecutors had accused him of treason and of discrediting the Russian military after he criticized what Moscow calls its 'special military operation' in Ukraine.
Read more »
Military cemeteries need more funding to keep them from falling into disrepair - National | Globalnews.caThe Liberals have been repeatedly criticized for refusing to make permanent investments in Veterans Affairs operations over the past few years.
Read more »
Public service strike will start Wednesday if no deal reached by then - National | Globalnews.caNational President Chris Aylward told reporters on Monday that despite progress being made on several fronts, there has been little on the union’s key priorities.
Read more »