OUR BAD

Southwest Exec Admits to Senate ‘We Messed Up’ During Holiday Travel Nightmare

The airline’s chief operating officer appeared at a Senate panel Thursday to testify on the over 16,700 flights canceled in December.

Following Southwest Airlines’ December travel meltdown—with over 16,700 flights canceled — the company’s chief operating officer appeared before a Senate panel Thursday to apologize for the disaster, admitting the airline did not have “enough winter operational resilience.” The president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association also testified that the company ignored serious warning signs leading up to the disastrous end-of-year travel season. Southwest Airlines isn’t the only one facing the Senate’s ire— panel chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) also went after Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation, claiming there was a failure to crack down on airlines during the crisis. The panel will continue to hear testimony and focus on recommendations for preventative policies moving forward.