(CNN) Southwest Airlines airlifted around 500 of its customers out of closed Houston Hobby Airport Sunday, according to airline and US government sources with knowledge of the operation. The Southwest customers were stranded inside the airport when the FAA closed it earlier Sunday morning. All roads to and from the airport were also closed. The humanitarian rescue mission underscores the severity of Hurricane Harvey's impact on the Houston area. Five of the airline's stranded Boeing 737s flew out of the flooded airport Sunday evening back to Love Field in Dallas, according to one of the sources.

Source: CNN August 28, 2017 00:11 UTC