Travelers check in at a Southwest Airlines ticket counter during the busy Christmas holiday season at Orlando International Airport on December 28, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.
Paul Hennessy | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Southwest Airlines reported a $220 million loss for the fourth quarter after the carrier’s holiday meltdown drove up expenses and cost it millions in revenue during what was expected to be the busiest travel period since the pandemic began.
It forecast a first-quarter loss, citing current “revenue and cost trends,” while analysts have been anticipating a per-share profit of 19 cents for the current quarter, based on estimates compiled by Refinitiv.
Southwest earlier this month said it canceled around 16,700 flights between Dec. 21 though Dec. 31 after severe winter weather swept through the U.S.
The airline on Thursday said the mass cancellations hit its pretax results by $800 million, in line with its estimate earlier this month of a hit between $725 million and $825…
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