Southwest Airlines Co. said it is cutting some flights this fall as it tries to fix operational problems that have caused flight delays and cancellations to mount this summer.
The airline said it would cut an average of 27 flights a day from Sept. 7 through Oct. 6, and 162 daily flights from Oct. 7 through Nov. 5. Southwest plans to make additional cuts in November and December, though it said it would work to protect holiday bookings.
The trims are intended to help the airline better align staffing with operations and allow hiring to catch up following a difficult summer, the company said. Southwest will operate about 3,300 daily flights in September and 3,420 in October.
“To any Southwest Customer whose journey with us fell short of their expectation this summer, we offer our sincerest apologies,” Southwest Chief Executive Gary Kelly said in a statement. “We’re confident these adjustments will create a more reliable travel experience.”
Air travel rebounded more quickly than many airlines had expected this summer. Carriers struggled to keep up, scrambling to hire enough workers and rebuild networks to meet the surge in demand.
