Southwest Airlines maintenance pinch extends into fifth day

Southwest Airlines' operational emergency stretched into a fifth day Tuesday, with double the normal number of planes taken out of service daily because of mechanical issues. The carrier has been in contract talks with the union representing mechanics for more than 6 years. Southwest has canceled 519 flights since Feb 15, although the total includes flights grounded by weather. A breakdown by cause wasn’t available. The carrier Tuesday added its Dallas maintenance centre to those in Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Orlando that originally were covered by the alert. The number of planes taken out of service has continued at more than twice the normal daily average of 20, Southwest said Tuesday, and there is “no common theme” among the reported mechanical issues. <br/>