Southwest exec grilled on Christmas debacle

On Thursday, the Southwest Airlines pilots union head told Congress that the airline ignored employees' concerns and

warnings before the operational meltdown that canceled flights and stranded millions of people during the holidays.  

Captain Casey Murray, president of SWAPA, testified before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

Southwest Airlines COO Andrew Watterson was questioned about the airline's technological and operational failures. Management

"failed to listen." Murray said frontline personnel had been complaining about Southwest's archaic IT and crew scheduling methods. 

"Those who don't study history will repeat it. Southwest repeats. Southwest Airlines management ignored pilots and

frontline workers who predicted this catastrophe despite multiple opportunities "Murray said. 

Southwest was paralyzed for more than a week after a deadly winter storm in December 2022 grounded flights. Other big

domestic carriers recovered quickly. The airline lost $220 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 due to nearly 17,000 flight

Murray said that Southwest leadership failed to plan for the winter storm, upgrade crew management methods and IT systems

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