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Southwest is pulling out of these 4 airports over Boeing delivery delays
Southwest Airlines is suspending service at some airports across the U.S. as it slows its growth, in part because of Boeing aircraft delivery delays.
The airline is set to receive just 20 of the 46 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes it was expecting in 2024, Southwest said Thursday.
The delays mean slower growth for the airline, which is looking for ways to cut costs as the airline reported a quarterly loss of $231 million, or 39 cents per share.
“Achieving our financial goals is an immediate imperative. The recent news from Boeing regarding further aircraft delivery delays presents significant challenges for both 2024 and 2025. We are reacting and replanning quickly to mitigate the operational and financial impacts while maintaining dependable and reliable flight schedules for our customers,” Southwest CEO Bob Jordan said on the company’s first quarter earnings call Thursday.
One cost-cutting measure includes pulling out of “underperforming markets,” he said.
Southwest will end service at the following airports on August 4:
- George Bush International Airport in Houston
- Bellingham International Airport in Bellingham, Washington
- Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York
- Cozumel International Airport on Cozumel island, Mexico
The carrier will also make significant changes to its operations in other markets, including cutting the number of flights at both Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Airlines generally withdraw from regional airports and cut unprofitable or less-profitable routes to save on labor costs, or add capacity to more profitable routes and generate more revenue.
In March, JetBlue said it was cutting unprofitable routes and exiting two U.S. cities altogether after a judge blocked its $3.8 billion bid for Spirit Airlines earlier this year. JetBlue cited limited aircraft as one driver of the cuts, which allow the airline to operate more flights on its busiest routes.
Additionally, Southwest said Thursday that it is exploring making improvements to its plane cabins and seating options. The low-cost carrier does not charge customers seat-selection fees, which have become a growing source of revenue for its competitors.
A family is demanding answers after a Las Vegas father was shot and killed in his own home after calling police to report a potential home invasion.
Newly released police bodycam video shows Brandon Durham, 43, struggling with an alleged intruder over a knife in the early hours of Nov. 12. The intruder, later identified as Alejandra Boudreaux, 31, was wearing a red hoodie, while Durham was shirtless, the video shows. Durham’s 15-year-old daughter was home at the time, but was not at the scene, officials said.
Las Vegas police said Officer Alexander Bookman entered the home and ordered the pair to drop the knife before firing his weapon, police said. Durham was struck and fell to the floor. Bookman then fires five more rounds, the video shows.
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Durham was pronounced dead at the scene. Now, his family is pushing for answers.
“He called the police for safety and instead, he was brutally murdered,” his daughter Isabella said in a news conference.
“Someone needs to explain to me why my son is not here with us today,” added Durham’s mother.
Bookman is on paid leave while the Las Vegas Metro Police Department investigates whether he acted appropriately or should face criminal charges. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson told Durham’s family the investigation could take 30 to 90 days, according to CBS affiliate KLAS.
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“Every time a police officer used force, he has to be able to articulate why he used that force,” Felipe Rodriguez, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former detective sergeant for the NYPD, told CBS News. “And even if he did use one round, you know, how is it that he was, you know, he continued shooting after the person was down in such a rapid succession? It’s going to have a lot of explaining.”
Boudreaux was arrested and faces multiple charges, including one count of home invasion with a deadly weapon, a count of assault with a deadly weapon, a count of performing an act of willful or wanton disregard of safety resulting in a person’s death, and one count of child abuse, according to police.
Boudreaux and Durham knew each other and had a sexual relationship, according to an arrest report obtained by KLAS 8. Boudreaux told detectives she intended to have police kill her on the day of the home invasion, the station reported, and Boudreaux has refused to appear at two court hearings.
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