A Southwest Airlines flight from Chicago to Phoenix was diverted to Milwaukee due to a “potential mechanical problem” Wednesday afternoon, derailing the embattled airline’s efforts to get back on track after thousands of canceled flights in recent years. days.
The problem on Flight 1715 involved one of the aircraft’s fins, a Southwest spokesman said. It took off from Midway International Airport at 12:45 p.m. and was out of service after landing safely in Milwaukee.
“A different aircraft is being brought in to continue the flight to Phoenix,” the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We appreciate our Customers’ patience as we work to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible.”
FILE PHOTO: A Southwest Airlines passenger jet stands at a gate on Concourse C of the Denver International Airport.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Southwest Airlines canceled thousands of flights over Christmas weekend, leaving travelers stranded at airports across the country as they tried to get home for the holidays.
TRAVEL EXPERT SHARES TIPS FOR VACATION TRAVELERS LEADING DELAYS DUE TO WINTER STORMS
Cancellations continued this week, with 2,509 flights canceled on Wednesday and 2,348 canceled on Thursday, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan apologized to travelers Tuesday, explaining that the airline’s “highly complex” network was thrown into disarray by the brutal winter storm that swept across the United States last week, leaving dozens of crews and aircraft out of position.
Stranded Southwest Airlines passengers search for their luggage in the baggage claim area at Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on December 28, 2022.
(Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
A traveler waits outside the Southwest Airlines baggage claim area at Oakland International Airport (OAK) in Oakland, California, USA, on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
(David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said the chaos stemmed from outdated technology and was a “decade in the making.”
“We’ve rung the alarm bells,” Murray told “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on Wednesday. “We’ve tried to get the processes to change. But it’s a combination of outdated processes, technology and infrastructure.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said his agency will hold the airline accountable for the cancellations, while the Senate Commerce Committee announced Tuesday it will investigate the cause of the disruptions.
