Southwest Airline flights resume after brief ground stop Tuesday morning, per FAA
Southwest Airlines appeared to be in the midst of another meltdown Tuesday morning as a ground stop was reported by travelers throughout the country, and was later confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to the FAA, Southwest experienced a technical issues with their internal systems and a pause to its departures was granted “at the airline’s request.” The FAA first acknowledged the stoppage at 7:36 a.m. and the pause had been lifted as of 8:10 a.m.
This morning @SouthwestAir experienced a technical issue with one of their internal systems.
At the airline’s request, the FAA paused Southwest’s departures as they resolved the issue.
The pause has been lifted and their service has resumed.
— The FAA (@FAANews) April 18, 2023
The official Southwest Airlines Twitter account replied to a flurry of complaints Tuesday morning amid reports that there was a stoppage due to technical issues. As of 8:15 a.m., Southwest had yet to acknowledge the situation outside of Twitter replies to customers. The company did not immediately answer a call for comment or put out a public statement.
Twitter user @FennerMichelle said she was sitting in a plane “waiting for computers to come back” when the airline replied with news of a stoppage.
“We have had to implement a ground stop as a result of intermittent issues that were experienced, and we should hopefully be resuming our operation as soon as possible,” the company wrote. “I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we’ll be here for you if you need any assistance.”
Twitter user @pconradt said his flight had landed at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport but couldn’t pull into the gate to offboard due to a “crashed computer system.”
“Hi, Paul. We understand that once the wheels hit the ground, our Customers are also ready to hit the ground running,” Southwest responded. “We truly regret the longer than usual wait upon your arrival to SJC. Please continue to hang in there w/ us and we’ll pull in ASAP.”
In late December, thousands of Southwest flights across the country were canceled as a result of a company-wide meltdown, with experts pointing toward outdated technological systems as the culprit.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.