What we know about Southwest Airlines operations meltdown, canceled flights
Southwest Airlines’ operational issues were still unresolved Monday after it canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend.
The Dallas-based airline blamed widespread cancellations on air traffic control problems, limited staffing and bad weather.
The company on Twitter told affected customers to attempt re-booking on the Southwest website. Hundreds of customers have commented, reporting wait times of up to 12 hours on the company’s customer service phone line. In response, the company invited customers to direct message their confirmation numbers to the company’s Twitter account.
Customers on Twitter also fact-checked the company, posting normal air traffic control conditions as provided by the Transportation Security Administration.
The Federal Aviation Administration said on Twitter there have been no air traffic related cancellations since Friday.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association denied claims circulating on social media that pilots were striking to protest the company’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which requires employees to get the shot by Nov. 24 or face termination.
“There are false claims of job actions by Southwest Pilots currently gaining traction on social media and making their way into mainstream news. I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise,” the union wrote in a statement on Sunday.
In response to the company’s claims that staffing and weather were to blame, the union said, what “was a minor temporary event for other carriers devastated Southwest Airlines because our operation has become brittle and subject to massive failures under the slightest pressure.”
Pilots, the union said, “are running on empty,” because the company is “putting profits ahead of people.”
The union asked a court on Friday to temporarily block the company’s vaccine mandate, according to court documents.
In the filing, the union argues the mandate violates the Railway Labor Act.
“Most recently, on October 4, 2021, Southwest Airlines unilaterally rolled out a new and non-negotiated COVID vaccine mandate for all employees, including SWAPA pilots. The new vaccine mandate unlawfully imposes new conditions of employment and the new policy threatens termination of any pilot not fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021,” the document read.
The latest filing is part of the union’s lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. It claims changes to working conditions spurred by the pandemic violate labor law.
Southwest’s weekend trouble is the continuation of a rough summer characterized by similar flight delays and cancellations.
This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 10:55 AM.
