Southwest Airlines Data Center Power Outage Delays Over 1,400 Flights

An IT-related issue forced Southwest Airlines to delay and cancel numerous flights on May 29, 2024. The problem, linked to a power outage at a data center in Dallas, Texas, caused significant disruptions for passengers, with over 1,400 flights delayed on that day.

According to FlightAware, Southwest Airlines experienced delays on 1,495 flights, representing 36% of its total schedule on May 29. Additionally, Flightradar24 data indicated that 40 flights were canceled. A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines confirmed that a technology issue caused by the power outage affected the airline’s operations, resulting in widespread delays. However, they assured that flights scheduled for May 30 would not be impacted.

The power outage occurred shortly after severe weather hit Texas on May 28, exacerbating the disruption. Flight data revealed that out of 353 scheduled departures from Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), only 232 flights managed to depart. DAL, one of Southwest Airlines' major bases and the location of its headquarters, saw significant cancellations, with 211 flights affected on May 28.

In addition to the disruptions at DAL, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) also experienced delays. Out of 1,065 flights, only 768 were able to depart. The severe weather not only caused delays and cancellations but also led to an incident where an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 was dislodged from its jet bridge at DFW. American Airlines confirmed that severe weather had affected its operations and that their maintenance teams were inspecting the dislodged aircraft.

This recent outage follows a major operational disruption that Southwest Airlines experienced during the 2022 Christmas holiday period. From December 21 to December 31, 2022, the airline had to cancel more than 16,700 flights due to a severe weather-related outage. This incident significantly impacted the airline's financial performance, with estimated pre-tax losses between $725 million and $825 million. The Q4 2022 financial results showed a net loss of $220 million for Southwest Airlines, primarily due to the operational meltdown.

As Southwest Airlines navigates these challenges, it continues to focus on minimizing disruptions and maintaining service reliability for its passengers.