Southwest Air CEO vows no repeat of ‘ugly’ winter meltdown a year ago

Vowing to avoid a repeat of catastrophic holiday delays that stranded thousands of passengers last year, Southwest Airlines Co.’s leader said the company was “absolutely ready” for an impending travel crush. The carrier has overhauled its operations since then, according to CEO Bob Jordan, from added workers and improved training to new cold-weather equipment and revamped technology. “We are ready for the winter, absolutely ready,” he said Wednesday. The stakes for Southwest are high. Last December’s crisis, when its systems were overwhelmed by a storm over multiple days, cost the Dallas-based company nearly $1.2b. It also drew intense scrutiny from lawmakers, regulators and passengers, and led the airline to cut executives’ pay. “It was an ugly week,” Jordan said. “But that week does not define Southwest Airlines.” The CEO has acknowledged short-term reputational damage following the meltdown, but he said that there was “no indication” that customers continue to avoid Southwest. The company earlier Wednesday said leisure demand “remains strong” going into the year-end holidays and certain business bookings have been at the higher end of its expectations in November and December. It raised the low end of its revenue forecast for Q4.<br/>