Hard Numbers: Southwest Airlines facing fines, Ukrainian casualties, Ethiopia-Tigray flights, Iranians facing execution
15,700: That’s how many flights Southwest Airlines has canceled since a winter blizzard hit large swaths of North America in the lead-up to Christmas. Other airlines also suffered and have since gotten their ducks in a row, but Southwest continues to flounder due to chaotic internal operations. US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg says he is prepared to issue fines if the airline fails to meet its legal obligations to customers.
18,000: The number of civilian casualties in Ukraine is nearing 18,000, 6,884 of which have been deaths, according to the UN. Meanwhile, Kyiv says that up to 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers – many of whom were presumably civilians who took up arms – died over the past 10 months.
18: After an 18-month hiatus, Ethiopia’s national carrier will resume flights to the Tigrayan capital of Mekele. This comes after a peace deal was finalized last month to end a bloody civil war between Addis Ababa and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.
100: At least 100 Iranians are currently facing death penalty charges or sentences for participating in ongoing protests, according to a Norway-based human rights group. That number is likely much higher given that families have been threatened by Islamic Republic officials to keep quiet.