SOUTHWEST

Diverting Mississippi River water to states struggling with water scarcity isn't a new idea.

Since 1979 in Orlando, we have increased our days with a heat index above 90 by almost a full three weeks.

Triple-digit temperatures have prompted severe weather and another round of heat advisories across much of the southern United States.

In his obituaries, Cormac McCarthy has been widely praised as a descendant of William Faulkner and Herman Melville among others, those excavators of the American spirit whose biblically influenced prose raised narratives to tragic and poetic heights.

All Southwest Airlines flights have been grounded across the U.S., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

A flight to Florida from Cuba was forced to turn back Sunday after it struck birds that caused an engine to catch fire and filled the cabin with smoke.

Portland, Oregon received nearly a foot of snow in a single day in what proved to be its second-snowiest day in history.

Southwest Airlines is giving its pilots an estimated $45 million in “bonus pay” for working during the company’s holiday meltdown.

Weeks after major issues led to thousands of flights canceled during the holidays, Southwest Airlines is facing another problem.

After cancelations and delays over the holidays, Southwest Airlines is promising its customers changes to avoid the same issues in the future.

Planes have been full recently and fares are up, which is good for airlines.

Dallas-based Southwest canceled more than 15,000 flights between Dec. 22 and Dec. 30, according to tracking service FlightAware.

After a major winter storm impacted the U.S., flights with Southwest Airlines continue to be canceled.

Passengers from all over the country are scrambling to make new travel plans in the wake of nationwide flight cancellations.

The holiday travel mess continues Wednesday in Orlando and across the country.

Attendants with Southwest Airlines will be picketing at Orlando International Airport, demanding better pay and improved work quality.

Airline workers are pushing for better pay in the midst of a travel recovery.

Federal weather officials say drought and wildfire risks will remain elevated in the western states while warmer than average temperatures will greet the Southwest, Gulf Coast and East Coast this winter.

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant suffered a compression fracture in her back during a hard landing last month in California.

Authorities say a woman fired several gunshots, apparently at the ceiling, inside of Dallas’ Love Field Airport before an officer shot and wounded her.

Nigeria has held a state funeral for many of the worshippers who were killed by gunmen during a Pentecost Sunday church service earlier this month.

A rare plant that depends on wetlands for survival is now on the federal endangered species list.

Light rain and a bit of snow in the mountains of northern New Mexico helped slow the largest wildfire in North America.

More than 5,000 firefighters are battling multiple wildland blazes in dry, windy weather across the Southwest.

An Oklahoma City couple had planned to get hitched in Vegas except their connecting flight out of Dallas got canceled.

Stiff winds remain a challenge but beefed up fire crews are making significant progress on a large prairie fire burning near the Nebraska-Kansas line.

The union for Southwest’s 16,000 flight attendants issued a letter to federal officials and the White House.

In the letter, the heads of Jet Blue, Southwest, Delta, American Airlines and others said the requirement is “no longer aligned with the realities of the current epidemiological environment.”

Several flights were delayed or cancelled at Orlando International Airport on Sunday, leaving many passengers frustrated.

A Louisiana man was taken off a Southwest flight at Orlando International Airport Thursday after he reportedly became irate over being forced to wear a mask, according to an arrest affidavit.

Over the course of the last century, records show a trend to wetter annual conditions in last four consecutive “normal periods.”

Airlines are responding to high sickout numbers during the pandemic by trimming their schedules.

A forecast of better weather means that the worst may finally be over for tens of thousands of air travelers who were grounded by flight cancellations that skyrocketed over the New Year’s Day weekend.

Dallas police say a woman has been arrested after punching a Southwest Airlines employee in the head during boarding for a flight out of a Dallas airport.

Here's the latest on the Southwest Airlines saga.

When Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend, unsupported claims blaming vaccine mandates began taking off.

After a weekend filled with more than 1,000 cancelled flights, Southwest Airlines encountered less turbulence at the start of this week.

"Captain Kirk" will have to wait a little longer before he can be beamed up to space.

A key senator wants to know whether labor shortages are causing delayed and canceled flights at major U.S. airlines.

A software bug at a major network provider briefly knocked offline dozens of financial institutions, airlines and other companies across the globe during peak Asian business hours.

The airline industry’s recovery from the pandemic passed a milestone as more than 2 million people streamed through U.S. airport security checkpoints on Friday for the first time since early March 2020.

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant lost two teeth when she was attacked by a passenger this weekend, and the president of her union calls it part of a disturbing increase in unruly passengers.

Rainstorms grew more erratic and droughts much longer across most of the U.S. West over the past half-century as climate change warmed the planet.

A former Southwest Airlines pilot is being accused of indecent exposure during a flight last year from Philadelphia to Orlando.

The pueblos of Jemez and Laguna are the latest to raise concerns over inadequate protections for local water sources in the desert Southwest. Jemez Pueblo covers mountainous and desert regions in northern New Mexico. The rule change, which took effect in June, narrowed the types of waterways that qualify for federal protection under the half-century-old Clean Water Act. New Mexico was among the states that went to court last May seeking to prevent the rule from taking effect. Jemez Pueblo depends on federal authority under the act to protect waters outside its jurisdiction.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 file photo, a worker uses a flashlight to inspect an engine on a Boeing 737 Max 8 built for Southwest Airlines at Renton Municipal Airport in Renton, Wash. On Monday, mach 29, 2021, Southwest said it's expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 737 MAX airplanes. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)NEW YORK – Southwest Airlines said Monday it is expanding its all-Boeing fleet with an order for 100 Max jets instead of buying planes from Europe's Airbus. Southwest ordered the 150-seat 737 Max 7 and expects the first 30 to show up next year. AdCombined with past orders, Chicago-based Boeing is in line to build more than 600 Max 7 and Max 8 jets for Southwest through 2031. American and United had already resumed Max flights, and Alaska Airlines began using the plane too.

And nearly all of the continental United States is looking at warmer than normal spring, except for tiny parts of the Pacific Northwest and southeast Alaska, which makes drought worse. “It’s definitely something we’re watching and very concerned about.”NOAA expects the spring drought to hit 74 million people. AdMore than 44% of the nation is in moderate or worse drought, and nearly 18% is in extreme or exceptional drought — all of it west of the Mississippi River. AdWinter and spring wheat crops also have been hit hard by the western drought with 78% of the spring wheat production area in drought conditions, Rippey said. That leaves more of the energy to heat up the air, and the heat makes the drought worse by boosting evaporation.

Delta, United and Alaska airlines said Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 they will bar passengers flying to Washington from putting guns in checked bags. The moves follow the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump and politically tinged confrontations on some flights. American Airlines is bringing back a ban on serving alcohol on flights to and from the Washington area — flights go dry starting Saturday through next Thursday. Price also said that it is “a good idea” to prohibit passengers from putting guns in checked bags if they are flying to Washington. Federal law allows passengers to put guns in checked baggage if they are unloaded and in a locked, hard-sided case, although airlines have the discretion to ban guns.

(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)DALLAS – Southwest Airlines warned nearly 7,000 workers on Thursday that they could lose their jobs unless labor unions accept concessions to help the airline cope with a sharp drop in travel caused by the pandemic. The warnings went to 6,828 employees including more than 2,500 ground workers and 1,500 flight attendants represented by the Transport Workers Union and 1,221 pilots, who have their own union. Rivals American Airlines and United Airlines furloughed 32,000 workers between them in October. Jon Weaks, president of the pilots’ union, called the furlough notices “a sad milestone” in Southwest history. Southwest received $3.2 billion in federal aid this spring as its share of the $25 billion allotted by Congress to help airlines cover their labor costs through September.

All rights reserved)ORLANDO, Fla. – JetBlue is the latest U.S. airline to announce it will stop blocking seats on flights. The company says it will reduce the number of middle seats it leaves empty starting Dec. 1. [TRENDING: COVID-19 closes early voting location | Can you get COVID-19 twice? Airlines have been blocking seats due to the coronavirus pandemic. Southwest announced last week it will start selling middle seats after Dec. 1.

Southwest Airlines took a major financial hit in 2020 and now the company is making a big change in an effort to mitigate further losses. Southwest will start selling every seat on flights starting Dec. 1. Southwest passenger Linda Morsilli is not a fan of the move. “I loved the idea that they had a middle seat vacant,” she said. “Somebody my age, who is very vulnerable, we can’t fly if they have it so crowded.

All rights reserved)Southwest Airlines is cutting back on cabin cleaning procedures that were instituted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Scaling it back will mean changes including no longer sanitizing seat belts between flights. The company says cleanings will now focus on a few items like tray tables and lavatories. According to a memo sent to flight attendants, the move will reduce the time planes spend on the ground between flights. Southwest says it will limit plane capacity through the end of October to allow for middle seats to remain empty.

The JD Power survey of 10,000 business and leisure travelers was conducted from April 2019 to March 2020. Southwest had the highest satisfaction levels in a number of categories including baggage handling, boarding, check-in, costs and crew. The survey covered both short-haul and long-haul flights and Southwest was on top in both categories. Ironically, before the pandemic, JD Power noted that overall customer satisfaction scores were the highest they had ever recorded. A survey conducted in mid-April shows that now what air travelers value most are regular updates on safety and sanitization measures.

A tempting offer for those itching to travel again, Southwest Airlines is offering one-way fares starting at $49. Feel free to book Southwest flights only if you’re OK flying with some travelers not wearing masks on your flight. An internal memo by Southwest Airlines tells flight crews not to stop passengers from boarding if they refuse to wear a mask. The airline tells flight attendants to inform customers of the policy and ask them to comply, but not enforce it. Southwest's official policy says customers will be asked to wear the masks when social distancing is not possible.

AUSTIN, Texas – A Southwest Airlines jetliner hit and killed a person upon landing Thursday night at Austin’s main airport, CBS News reported. The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot of Flight 1392 reported seeing a person on the runway shortly after the Boeing 737 touched down at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport statement on tonight's pedestrian fatality. pic.twitter.com/7xjwZq5sCy — Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@AUStinAirport) May 8, 2020Southwest released a statement about the incident:Southwest flight #1392 arrived safely this evening at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) after being cleared to land on runway 17R. The Southwest aircraft maneuvered to avoid an individual who became visible on runway 17R shortly after touchdown.

These are the precautions airlines are taking to prevent the spread of the coronavirusPublished: April 28, 2020, 1:04 pmHere's what airlines are doing to protect passengers and employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A passenger aboard a Southwest flight traveling from Orlando had flu-like symptoms, prompting an airport to issue a statement about the incident. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation said a sick passenger on Southwest Airlines Flight 153 arrived at T.F. Green Airport from Orlando on Tuesday. “A customer was reportedly experiencing flu-like symptoms, so our crews requested support for the individual from local EMTs. As always, safety is our uncompromising priority, and we follow all CDC reporting guidelines.”It’s not known if the passenger was tested for coronavirus.

ORLANDO, Fla. – After a very wet Friday, expect another round of rain and storms for Saturday. With high pressure continuing to drag winds in from the Southwest, Central Florida will see another round of storms favoring the eastern half of the state starting up around lunch and remaining unsettled through sundown. Highs across the area will remain near normal in the upper 80s to low 90s before the storms roll in. The rest of the outlook remains seasonal with temperatures in the low 90s and rain chances sitting between 50-60 percent.