Southwest trims schedule in effort to solve flight problems

A man waits with his luggage in an airport terminal for a Southwest Airlines flight. — CNN

Published August 26, 2021 5:07 PM

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines is reducing the number of flights it will operate the rest of this year. Southwest has struggled all summer with high numbers of delayed and canceled flights. CEO Gary Kelly said Thursday that the cuts in the schedule should create a more reliable travel experience. Southwest says it will trim September flights by 27 a day, or less than 1%, and slash 162 flights a day in October, or 4.5% of the schedule. It says it will make similar cuts in November and December except around holidays.