Southwest expects operations to return to normal on Friday
Thousands more Southwest flights were canceled on Thursday
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Southwest Airlines said that it expects operations to resume as normal on Friday after canceling more than 2,300 more flights on Thursday.
"While Southwest continues to operate roughly one third of its schedule for Thursday, Dec. 29, we plan to return to normal operations with minimal disruptions on Friday, Dec. 30," the airline said in a news release, noting that it had been encouraged by progress made to realign crew, schedules and its fleet.
"We know even our deepest apologies – to our customers, to our employees and to all affected through this disruption – only go so far," Southwest continued, adding that there is "much work ahead" of another holiday travel weekend.
The Texas-based airline said it aims to service customers and employees with "legendary levels of Southwest Hospitality and reliability" very soon.
A Southwest Airlines jet arrives at Sky Harbor International Airport, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022, in Phoenix. Travelers who counted on Southwest Airlines to get them home suffered another wave of canceled flights Wednesday, and pressure grew on the fed ((AP Photo/Matt York) / AP Newsroom)
It is likely that far more than 1 million passengers have been affected by cancelations and delays and Southwest has canceled more than 13,000 flights since Dec. 22.
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Cancelled Southwest Airlines flights are seen in red on the flight schedules at the Southwest terminal at the Los Angeles International Airport, on Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. The U.S. Department of Transportation says it will look into flight cancellati ((AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes) / AP Newsroom)
The majority, 98%, of flights that took off Thursday managed to land within 15 minutes of schedule, meeting the government's definition of an on-time arrival.
Travelers wait at a Southwest Airlines baggage counter to retrieve their bags after canceled flights at Los Angeles International Airport, Monday, Dec. 26, 2022, in Los Angeles. ((AP Photo/Eugene Garcia) / AP Newsroom)
The federal government is looking into the problem.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.