A computer issue grounded Southwest Airlines flights across the country for a second day in a row on Tuesday, according to the company and officials at several airports.
“We are in the process of resuming normal operations after a system issue this afternoon that created flight disruptions throughout our network,” airline representatives said in a statement posted just before 4 p.m. on Twitter. :We know that many Customers still require assistance and are working to address those concerns as quickly as possible.”
In the meantime, Customer Service wait times might be longer than normal, so we encourage you to visit https://t.co/5ZrzAZnzpd to explore self-service options.
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) June 15, 2021
Earlier Tuesday, Southwest officials said the company was experiencing unspecified “system issues.”
Officials with Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona said in a social media post that Southwest was “experiencing a systemwide computer outage.” Similarly, officials at Denver International Airport said the airline was “experiencing a network connectivity issue” on Tuesday morning.
.@SouthwestAir is experiencing a network connectivity issue at DEN. Flight delays are likely, check directly with your airline for more information. Thanks for your patience as they work through this issue!
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) June 15, 2021
Authorities with the Federal Aviation Administration said they issued a temporary nationwide ground stop “at the rest of Southwest Airlines while the company resolved a reservation computer issue.”
The FAA issued a temporary nationwide ground stop at the request of Southwest Airlines while the company resolved a reservation computer issue. Please contact the airline for further details. pic.twitter.com/g5sJxDdiIC
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 15, 2021
Officials at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California said in a Twitter post around 11:25 a.m. local time that Southwest flights had resumed at the airport.
❗️Southwest Airlines nationwide network issue has been resolved. Their flight operations at BUR have resumed.
— Hollywood Burbank ✈️ (@fly_BUR) June 15, 2021
Tuesday’s computer issues were reported hours after Southwest resumed flights following a reported technical glitch with the company’s third-party weather data provider, according to NPR. A company spokesperson told the news outlet that “intermittent performance issues” meant that weather information wasn’t being properly sent to flight crews on Monday, preventing them from safely operating the company’s planes.
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