Computer system failure and the December 2022 North American winter storm
Outcome
Formal investigations, flight cancellations and reimbursements, government settlement
In December 2022, Southwest Airlines, a major U.S. airline, and the third largest by domestic passenger volume,[1] canceled more flights than usual, including more than 60% of its flights on two days.[2] The crisis spanned December 21–30, at the peak of the holiday travel season, and is referred to in the news media as the Southwest Airlines holiday travel meltdown[3] or simply as the holiday meltdown,[4][5][6] a name also used by the Southwest Airlines pilot's union[7] and the U.S. Department of Transportation.[8] The disruption to operations was described by Seeking Alpha as the most costly and largest in the history of U.S. airlines.[9] More than 15,000 flights were canceled throughout the crisis.[10][11]
On December 18, 2023, Southwest was fined $140 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation, surpassing the highest previous fine in the agency's history by a factor of about 30.[5][6] As of that date, Southwest had paid about $600M in reimbursement to passengers,[4][6] and reported losses of $1.1 billion[3] to over $1.2B[5] as a result of the events.
^"U.S. domestic market share of leading airlines". Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
^Simonetti, Isabella; Eavis, Peter (December 27, 2022). "Southwest's Debacle, Which Stranded Thousands, to Be Felt for Days". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
^ ab"Southwest Airlines in $140 million deal with feds over 2022 holiday travel meltdown". Moneywatch. CBS News. December 18, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
^ abShepardson, David (December 18, 2023). "Southwest Airlines agrees to $140 million penalty over 2022 holiday meltdown". Reuters. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
^ abcWalker, Mark; Chokshi, Niraj (December 18, 2023). "U.S. Fines Southwest Airlines $140 Million for Holiday Meltdown". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
^ abcYousif, Nadine (December 18, 2023). "SSouthwest Airlines fined $140m for holiday meltdown". BBC. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
^Robinson, Amy (28 December 2022). "SWAPA Statement on Southwest's Holiday Meltdown" (Press release). Southwest Airline Pilots Association. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^"DOT Penalizes Southwest Airlines $140 Million for 2022 Holiday Meltdown" (Press release). Washington, D.C. U.S. Department of Transportation. 18 December 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^"Southwest Airlines Has Been Badly Broken". Seeking Alpha. December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
^Sklar, Debbie L. (December 31, 2022). "Southwest Airlines Cancellations Minimal as 'Normal' Returns". Times of San Diego. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
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