Southwest Cuts Service to 4 Airports After Disastrous Quarter and Boeing Delays
GROUNDED
Bad news for frequent flyers of America’s favorite budget airline: Southwest will stop service to four major airports, the carrier announced Thursday. After a dismal first quarter and further delays from Boeing, which had promised to deliver the Texas-based airline more jets, Southwest said it would no longer fly to Bellingham International Airport in Washington state, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Syracuse Hancock International Airport in New York, or Cozumel International Airport in Mexico. “The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025,” CEO Bob Jordan said in a statement. “We are reacting and replanning quickly to mitigate the operational and financial impacts. Consequently, we have made the difficult decision to close our operations.” On Thursday, Southwest reported losses of $218 million excluding special items, up from $163 million in losses reported a year ago. Boeing’s delivery delays are due to the internal chaos the manufacturer has faced this year, beginning with the now-infamous Max 9 door blowout in January, CNN reported.