Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
WEKU
WEKU
Ashley Ahn

Southwest cancels 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours in a 'full-blown meltdown'

Travelers wait at a Southwest Airlines baggage counter after flight cancellations hit Los Angeles International Airport on Monday. The airline warns it will fly about one-third of its schedule for the next several days. (Eugene Garcia/AP)

A historic winter storm has tangled holiday travel and brought dangerous conditions to a big chunk of the United States, but no airline has struggled more to navigate the Christmas holiday rush than Southwest Airlines.

Southwest canceled more than 2,900 flights Monday — at least 70% of its schedule for the day — and more than 2,500 flights Tuesday as of 9:10 a.m. ET — at least 60% of its schedule, according to flight tracker FlightAware. The disruptions add to chaos that has left people stranded at airports across the country, many of them with little idea of when they can get home or where their bags are.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.