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Southwest Airlines cancellations hamper travel at Kansas City International Airport

Southwest Airlines cancelations impacts at KCI
Posted at 10:50 AM, Dec 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-28 06:05:52-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travelers at the Kansas City International Airport weren't immune to the ongoing cancellations from Southwest Airlines on Tuesday morning.

KSHB 41 News reporter Daniela Leon spotted dozens of people waiting in the Southwest Airlines line at KCI.

Some travelers told Leon that the earliest flight available for rebooking was on Dec. 31.

On Tuesday, Southwest announced it would cancel more than 60% of its flights. The airline said the cancelations are in part due to an arctic blast that hit the U.S. last week.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation called the cancelations "unacceptable" in a tweet on Monday night and said it's monitoring the situation.

"The Department will examine whether cancellations were controllable and if Southwest is complying with its customer service plan," the USDOT said in the tweet.

In its latest update, Southwest said it would operate on a reduced flying schedule for several days, but didn't specify exactly how long.