Southwest Airlines could be operating at normal levels by the weekend after days of widespread cancellations, Chicago Department of Aviation officials said Wednesday evening, citing discussions with Southwest leadership.
The carrier had previously said it would operate about one-third of its schedule for “several days” in an attempt to catch up, after a meltdown that left thousands of flights canceled, travelers stranded and crews and planes out of place.
Southwest canceled more than 2,500 flights systemwide Wednesday, including 231 at Midway Airport and 37 at O’Hare International Airport. The Dallas-based airline had more than 200 additional cancellations planned for Thursday at the two Chicago airports, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.
