Southwest Resumes Normal Flight Operations

Southwest Airlines said it expects to resume normal operations today after removing 38 aircraft from service for inspections on Wednesday.

The carrier on Wednesday canceled 4 percent of its schedule amid an internal maintenance audit prompted by Federal Aviation Administration claims that Southwest failed to complete airworthiness inspections. Southwest said that by 9 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday it had inspected 28 of the 38 aircraft, with the expectation that it would inspect the remaining 10 planes and return them to service by Thursday morning.

"Southwest anticipates a normal operation on Thursday morning," the carrier said in a statement. "Any repairs identified as a result of these reinspections will be made before those aircraft are returned to service."