Southwest Airlines has appointed new technology chiefs due to the holiday meltdown

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines’ new chief technology officer, Lauren Woods, is in a move planned before the company was criticized for the holiday meltdown in December, the company said Wednesday.

Woods replaces senior vice president and chief information officer Kathleen Merrill, who decided to retire in December and move into an executive advisory role. Merrill has been with the carrier since 2017 and since 2004.

CEO Bob Jordan previously introduced Woods as the incoming chief information officer, but the company has not officially announced the leadership change.

“Lauren’s extensive experience prepares her well for this important role, as she is building a reputation as an innovative and transformational leader in our technology department and throughout the company,” Jordan said in a statement.

Woods will play a key role at the company as Southwest tries to overhaul its technology systems after canceling 16,700 flights in December.

Due to severe winter storms and glitches in its crew scheduling software, the company was unable to track pilots and flight attendants. It halted operations for more than a week, eventually forcing the carrier to close two-thirds of its operations.

The company initially said the employee scheduling software provided by GE Digital was over-scaled, but cited weather as the main culprit.

Either way, Jordan said the company plans to accelerate technology initiatives to prevent this type of crash from happening again. The meltdown cost the company $800 million in its fourth-quarter loss, and could hit another $250 to $350 million in the first quarter.

Southwest spends $1 billion a year on technology infrastructure and plans to spend about $1.3 billion this year, not including in-flight upgrades like better wireless Internet and in-seat power outlets on upcoming jets.

Woods has been with Southwest for 13 years and has been involved in some of the company’s key technology initiatives during that time, including integrating the acquisition of AirTran and bringing in a new reservation system from Amadeus in 2017.

At Southwest, the chief technology officer reports to Linda Rutherford, the company’s chief administration and communications officer.