Southwest Airlines, a low-cost airline operating throughout the US, experienced significant travel disruptions on Tuesday due to a computer system outage. The glitch was attributed to a firewall failure, leading the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground all flights operated by the Texas-based airline. Notably, a firewall is a network security device that allows or blocks traffic based on a defined set of security rules.
The airline, in a statement, said the issue stemmed from a vendor-supplied firewall that went down, causing a loss of connection to operational data. This disruption led to the grounding of over 1,500 flights and delays for tens of thousands of passengers. Later, Southwest Airlines apologized for the delay.
If you find yourself in a similar situation, you can take several measures to mitigate the problem. Start by checking the flight status regularly and contacting customer service if needed. Additionally, explore alternatives to the flight and be prepared for delays.
Meanwhile, the American Aviation Agency warned of flight disruptions in the Washington, D.C. area due to thunderstorms in the region. It added that residual disruptions were possible even after weather conditions improve, as airlines work to clear passenger backlogs, as reported by Crisis24.