Southwest Airlines Anticipates FAA Approval to Resume Full Schedule

Southwest Airlines expressed optimism that the Federal Aviation Administration will permit U.S. airlines to restore their full flight schedule soon. The FAA recently instituted flight cuts at major airports, but Southwest's COO expects a quick resumption of operations following the regulatory constraints.

Southwest Airlines conveyed to its employees on Wednesday a hopeful outlook regarding the Federal Aviation Administration's upcoming decisions. The airline believes that the FAA will soon permit U.S. carriers to return to their full operational schedules.

This comes as the FAA imposed flight reductions of 4% at the nation's 40 busiest airports, a figure projected to rise to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday if no adjustments are made.

In a communication obtained by Reuters, Southwest Chief Operating Officer Andrew Watterson emphasized that, post-shutdown, airlines could potentially resume normal operations in just a few days.

(With inputs from agencies.)