Server glitch results in hundreds of canceled SkyWest Airlines flights

More than 700 flights were canceled in the United States after SkyWest Airlines faced a glitch in an internal computer system. Even after the issues were resolved, the knock-on effects of the disruption led to further delays and cancelations.

The connection with SkyWest Airlines servers was lost on October 21, 2021, resulting in cancelations across the regional carrier’s network, with the majority of them at the carrier’s base at Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) in California. When the SkyWest (SKYW) servers went offline, the airline lost the ability to provide any services, meaning hundreds of flights were first temporarily delayed and later canceled.

“SkyWest (SKYW) experienced an internal technical issue resulting in approximately 700 flight cancellations before the issue was resolved Thursday evening. We apologize to customers for the inconvenience; we are working to minimize the impact on Friday’s schedule and to return to normal operations as quickly as possible,” a spokesperson for the airline told a local media outlet on the day of the glitch.

According to FlightAware.com data,  SkyWest (SKYW) resumed some scheduled flights  late on October 21, 2021. However, the operational disruption continued through the morning of the following day. On October 22, 2021, SkyWest Airlines partner Delta Air Lines issued an apology for the incident.

“We are aware of a technical issue affecting flights operated by Delta connection partner SkyWest (SKYW). Our technical teams are engaged with SkyWest IT to resolve the issue and minimize the impact on our customers. We are working with customers directly to accommodate them to their destination as soon as possible and apologize for the inconvenience,” the statement read.

SkyWest Airlines has a fleet of 580 aircraft and operates flights to more than 235 destinations across the North American region for Alaska Airlines, American Airlines (A1G) (AAL), Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines.