Southwest Airlines cancels 1,800 flights, blaming weather and staffing

[cadoman]

Source: CNBC

Southwest Airlines canceled more than 1,800 flights this weekend, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of customers and stranding flight crews — the airline blamed the meltdown on a combination of bad weather, air traffic control and its own shortage of available staff.

“I know this is incredibly difficult for all of you, and our Customers are not happy,” Alan Kasher executive vice president of daily flight operations told staff in a note on Sunday, which was seen by CNBC.

The airline said initial problems on bad weather and an “FAA-imposed air traffic management program” were to blame.

“Although we were staffed for the weekend, we could not anticipate the significant disruption that was created from unexpected ATC issues and bad weather across our Florida stations,” said Kasher.

Other airlines canceled relatively few flights. Southwest did not comment on the disparity.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/10/southwest-airlines-cancels-1000-more-flights-as-disruptions-mount.html

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Anyone have any insights on the mentioned air traffic management program?

[AZSkiffyGeek]

1. Anti vaxxers are saying it is a sick-out

But I’ve also read that FAA requires newly vaxxed to quarsntine(?)and a lot of people were getting jabbed ahead of vaxx mandates.

[BootinUp]

3. I don't think what they say matters in an overall kind of way. nt

[cinematicdiversions]

2. Where in Florida was there bad weather? NT

[mpcamb]

6. There wasn't. It's airlines' fallback position...

[cinematicdiversions]

8. It doesn't make sense

Do they have some guy with a map and a Sharpie?

Talk about something that is clearly untrue.

[melm00se]

14. Weather issues are

the default airline excuse because they don't have to pay any reimbursement the way that they have to for other reasons like maintenance as well as others that are under the airlines' control.

[Sherman A1]

4. One suspects this will just make life more difficult for

Everyone involved, passengers and staff as these flights are rebooked.

[twodogsbarking]

5. Flying wasn't always the hassle it is now.

Honest.

[Trueblue Texan]

7. Why would FAA require newly vaxxed to quarantine?

You can't get the virus from the vaccine.

[bluevoter4life]

11. It's not a quarantine per se

We are required to wait 2 days after each dose to return to work. Standard practice to make sure we don't experience any side effects that would make it detrimental to do our job.

FAA has list of prohibited medications for controllers and pilots, and other medications that require a certain amount of time to pass before returning to duty.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

9. The FAA says there were no weather or staffing issues reported, this is on Southwest, sorry traveler

You on your own, get a horse

[bluevoter4life]

10. I'm ATC

Not in Jacksonville. My understanding there is that there are no out-of-the-ordinary staffing issues at Jax Center. Normal approved Leave and also the mandatory 2-day absence for receiving the vaccine.

Plus, there is a large-scale military training exercise in the area which is forcing the Center to re-route aircraft over a much smaller number of routes which is leading to congestion along those routes.

When Southwest is blaming ATC for this, they are full of shit.

[cadoman]

15. thanks for sharing your direct knowledge on that

It's what makes forum discussions so valuable!

Did Southwest handle their leave of absence policies worse than other carriers with mandates?

[ancianita]

12. Southwest's vax deadline for personnel is Dec 8. It's my belief they'd rather shut down than

go through the administrative and customer blowback from requiring testing and totally vaxxed personnel right now.

I'd just checked to see what their vaccination policy is because my non-vaxxed daughter wanted to come down to FL for Thanksgiving. I had to tell her no. So she couldn't book three round trip non-stops to Sarasota.

So I think the disparity across other airlines is that Southwest is just giving up doing business on their personnel's terms right now over their covid vaccination deadline, in an attempt to avoid the politics and longer potential negative PR affect on their business. Just my theory.

[Aviation Pro]

13. Un-vaxxed crew walking out

....