The airline has canceled more than 15,000 flights since Dec. 22, stranding passengers and crew for days. The core problem is Southwest’s failure to modernize its infrastructure. At a minimum, Southwest should fully compensate affected passengers and upgrade its outdated computer system. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called the situation “unacceptable”. Southwest received more than $7 billion from the U.S. federal government to shore up its operations. The airline recently announced it would pay a dividend again that amounts to $428 million a year.
