Southwest Airlines says normal operations will resume Friday after dumping most of Thursday’s flights

Southwest Airlines said it will resume regular operations on Dec. 30, possibly ending a week of misery for travelers.

The beleaguered company said about two-thirds of its flights would be canceled on Thursday, but service would be close to normal on Friday, just in time for New Year’s weekend.

“We are encouraged by the progress we’ve made to realign crew, their schedules and our fleet,” the company said in an online update. “With another holiday weekend full of important connections for our valued customers and employees, we are eager to return to a state of normalcy.”

Like other airlines, Southwest had trouble dealing with the winter storm that chilled most of the country over Christmas weekend. Unlike other airlines, Southwest dealt with a cascading catastrophe of cancellations in the following week.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Southwest accounted for the vast majority of flight cancellations nationwide. The airline was responsible for 95% of all canceled flights on Thursday.

Both Southwest’s corporate leaders and its employee unions said the company’s outdated technology was to blame for the disaster.

“If airline managers had planned better, the meltdown we’ve witnessed in recent days could have been lessened or averted,” said Randy Barnes, president of the union that represents Southwest ground workers.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said his department would investigate Southwest over the holiday season mess. He was one of several politicians who called on the company to fully reimburse passengers for all costs caused by the cancellations, including hotels and airport meals.

With News Wire Services