Southwest cancels dozens more flights, apologizes for disruptions

Oct. 12 (UPI) -- Southwest Airlines canceled more flights on Tuesday, but fewer than it did over the previous three days, as the carrier tries to rebound from disruptions that have stained its performance record.

Fewer than 100 Southwest flights had been canceled by early Tuesday, according to FlightAware. Thousands were canceled and delayed after the disruptions began last Saturday.

The airline apologized for the disruptions on Tuesday and said workers have been "working diligently to restore stability."

"Southwest extends a tremendous apology to our customers and employees for the flight cancellations and delays which occurred over the weekend and on Monday," the company said in a statement.

The carrier said last weekend that air traffic control issues and "disruptive weather" helped cause the delays and cancellations -- reasons that have been questioned by experts and federal regulators.

Southwest also said that scheduling and staffing cuts due to COVID-19 have made it difficult to return to normal operations.

"I want to apologize to all of our customers, this is not what we want," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly told Good Morning America on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, it just takes a couple of days to get things back on track."