Southwest nationwide ground stop lifted after network issues caused delays

Mycah Hatfield Image
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Southwest nationwide ground stop lifted after network issues
About 500 Southwest flights were canceled due to a network outage, now, the airline says they are "in the process of resuming normal operations."

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A nationwide ground stop issued by Southwest Airlines has been lifted, according to the company.

It was put in place after a network issue caused a series of delays.

The FAA told ABC News on Tuesday afternoon that the order was lifted and Southwest is "in the process of resuming normal operations."

A spokesperson with Southwest told ABC13 the airline had to cancel roughly 500 flights due to the outage.

"We're working with those customers to get them to their destinations as quickly as possible," the spokesman said.

A computer network issue has caused problems for at least three airlines, including Southwest.

Delta and Alaska Airlines were also affected.

The issue prevented the airlines from receiving weather information necessary to operate flights.

According to the flight-tracking website Flight Radar 24, more than a dozen Southwest Airlines flights that were set to take off Monday either didn't leave or were delayed.

Delta and Alaska Airlines said the issue affected their booking sites and apps.

Delta sent ABC News the following statement Monday night:

"Delta teams are working to quickly address a technical issue that is making it difficult for customers to purchase flights on delta.com, the Fly Delta app, and through our Reservations Call Center. The ability to check in for flights is not affected. We apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this is causing."

This is a developing story. This article will be updated as more information becomes available.

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