Hundreds of Southwest Airlines Flights Delayed After Computer Glitch
- Weather and airspace congestion is also affecting traffic
- Mechanical issues still keeping more planes out of service
Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
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Southwest Airlines Co. experienced almost 600 flight delays nationwide Friday, according to tracking service FlightAware, after a computer problem caused the carrier to temporarily park its fleet.
The airline asked the Federal Aviation Administration to declare a “brief” ground stop after a glitch with software that automatically downloads flight plans to the agency, an FAA spokesman said in a statement. The delays represent about 15 percent of Southwest’s daily schedule, according to FlightAware. Flights also were affected by heavy fog in Dallas and by air traffic congestion in Houston.