CHICAGO, Nov 20 (Reuters) – Andrew Watterson knows the cost of disrupted flights.
Southwest Airlines (LUV.N)’s chief operating officer said last December’s snowstorm forced the company to cancel about 17,000 flights and disrupted travel plans for about 2 million customers. Later, I found myself in the middle of a storm.
As the holiday travel season begins this week with Thanksgiving in the US, Watterson can’t afford another fiasco. He at other airlines is also under pressure to ensure smooth operations at a time when passenger numbers are expected to reach record highs.
Airlines are taking steps to strengthen winter operations, including investing in weather forecasting technology and de-icing equipment, and increasing staffing and training.
The high-profile operational meltdown cost Southwest more than $1 billion in losses and prompted scrutiny from the U.S. Congress and other government agencies. Watterson himself faced criticism from U.S. lawmakers over the debacle.
But in an interview with Reuters, the executive cited technology upgrades and investments Southwest Airlines has made to deal with this year’s weather events since the Dallas-based airline’s meltdown.
“We are very well prepared now,” he said.
The expected record number of trips comes as airlines face a shortage of air traffic controllers, congested airspace, and restricted runways and airport gates, forcing many to cut flights. .
Southwest Airlines blamed last Christmas’ service disruption on a winter storm that was “historic” in both size and scale, freezing jet bridges and freezing aircraft engines. . But that problem was compounded by an outdated system for scheduling crews.
Watterson said Southwest Airlines is investing in de-icing trucks and de-icing pads across its network to make its winter operations more resilient. The company also spent the summer training ramp personnel for frost and cold weather, increasing staffing at airports in colder regions.
The company has a particular focus on operations in Denver and Chicago, where a quarter of its crew is based. Both cities suffered major damage from last year’s storms.
The team that designs flight schedules and oversees operations has been integrated to streamline communication and decision-making. Southwest Airlines also introduced new technology to deal with large-scale flight disruptions.
Southwest Airlines was fined by the U.S. Department of Transportation last year. Watterson acknowledged that the company had fallen short, but highlighted improvements in operational performance since then.
He said Southwest’s uncancelled percentage of scheduled flights is at the highest level in a decade. The company coped with last month’s snowstorm in Denver with little trouble.
“For me, that was a preseason game,” Watterson said.
Last year’s economic crisis caused Southwest Airlines’ ticket sales to drop in early 2023, but customers are forgiving the company because bookings for this December were stronger than last year.
Minimize cancellations
Other airlines are also reviewing their policies in response to holiday disruptions.
Alaska Airlines (ALK.N), for example, is looking to better equip its main hub in Seattle to deal with the weather.
Chief Operating Officer Constance von Muehlen said in an interview that the company collaborated with meteorologists at the University of Washington to obtain local weather forecasts to improve predictability. This doubled the amount of space he had available for deicing aircraft.
Alaska also capped the number of hourly departures from Seattle to minimize cancellations.
Similarly, United Airlines (UAL.O) has reduced its flights out of Newark, New Jersey, to minimize delays. American Airlines (AAL.O) is relying on technology to recover faster from major disruptions, Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said in an interview.
Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) said it has strong flight performance heading into the holiday season and is well-positioned to retain crew.
According to data on the FlightAware website, airlines have performed well this year, with flight cancellations down to just 1.4%.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Congress earlier this month that airlines are improving staffing levels and preparing for this year’s holiday rush.
However, weather is always unpredictable.
“You never know when the weather is going to hit you,” von Muehlen said. “But obviously, it’s during the holidays that it impacts the most.”
Reporting by Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago.Additional reporting by Doyinsola Oladipo in New York and David Shepardson in Washington Editing by Ben Klayman and Matthew Lewis
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