US SouthWest Airlines cancels 1,800 flights amid staff protest against vaccine mandate

US Southwest Airlines has canceled more than 1,800 flights, disrupting travel plans and stranding thousands of passengers in US airports due to shortage of staff amid a protest against the vaccine mandate.

SouthWest, known for its relatively low prices, canceled at least 1,018 flights on Sunday, that is in addition to 808 flights that were canceled on Saturday.

The airlines blamed “disruptive weather” and air traffic control issues for the problem, but the Federal Aviation Administration said that airlines were experiencing problems because of their own difficulties with staffing and aircraft.

The SouthWest account was inundated by complaints from disgruntled passengers claiming that flights had been canceled out of the airline’s employees were nowhere to be seen.

“Flight canceled out of nowhere and now NO ONE is seen at the front desks to assist customers,” complained a passenger.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said in a statement that although it was aware of “operational difficulties affecting Southwest Airlines” it could “say with confidence that our pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions.”

The pilot union added: “Our pilots will continue to overcome (Southwest) management’s poor planning, as well as any external operational challenges, and remain the most productive Pilots in the world.”

On Saturday, the union said that the company’s announcement last week that it will join other airlines in complying with the Biden administration’s requirement that federal contractors must mandate COVID vaccinations is contributing to distractions for aviators.

“Make no mistake about it – due to months of staffing issues and inefficient scheduling practices we have been operating at a higher than normal operational risk.”

It added, “All of these challenges have led to an added distraction in the cockpit. This week’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate announcement by the Company only exacerbates the situation.”

Southwest says all of its employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by 8 December or face losing their job.

Media citing “airline sources” have also reported that air traffic controllers were staging a mass “sickout” or walkout at the federal air traffic control center in Hilliard, Florida over mandatory vaccinations.

The reported protest caused a “ripple effect” paralyzing SouthWest operations, media report said.

The labor union asked a federal court in Dallas to temporarily block the implementation of the vaccine mandate and other COVID-19 policies, saying the company took unilateral decisions that require negotiations with the union.

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