Travel

Southwest Air Plans to Return to Normal Operations Friday

  • Carrier to reassess systems upgrade after weeklong disruptions
  • Executives outline plans to restore service, reimburse flyers

Travelers wait outside the Southwest Airlines baggage office at Oakland International Airport in Oakland, California, US, on Dec. 28.

Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Southwest Airlines Co. plans to return to a normal schedule Friday after a weeklong meltdown stranded thousands of passengers.

The airline said on its website that it expects “minimal disruptions” on Friday. The carrier has been operating a significantly reduced schedule for several days while it recovered from a rash of cancellations caused by winter storms and overwhelmed scheduling technology.