![]() ![]() 25, 2021 that it will also require weekly testing for unvaccinated employees starting next month, although the airline says it'll pick up the cost of that testing. Delta Air Lines won't force employees to get vaccinated, but it's going to make unvaccinated workers pay a $200 monthly charge. ![]() ![]() The spread of the delta variant and rising case numbers blunted some of the recovery, and while analysts at Bank of America said this week that they expect the coming holiday season to be "strong," they noted that Southwest and Spirit Airlines had pared back flying to ward off further disruptions.FILE - People sit under Delta sign at Salt Lake City International Airport on July 1, 2021, in Salt Lake City. "The sick rate is slowly creeping up as our crews continue to get worn down by the operation," the union said.Īir travel rebounded more quickly from the coronavirus than some analysts had predicted, putting unexpected pressure on airlines. It said crews are stretched thin by Southwest's current schedule, describing "chronic manning problems and cumulative fatigue that have occurred since June." On Sunday the union found that a large number of pilots were on "dead head" flights - a sign that the airline was pushing to get them back in position for the coming week.Īt the same time, the union said longer-term issues are taking a toll on pilots. "If there was some sorts of grass-roots effort, they definitely wouldn't be doing that," said Amy Robinson, a spokeswoman for the union. There was also evidence that pilots were continuing to step forward to take on extra flights. The union found that sick rates for October were broadly consistent with recent months. On Monday, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association circulated an analysis of the weekend and long-term staffing trends that showed no indication that any unsanctioned protests were a cause of the disruptions. "To be clear: None of the information from Southwest, its pilots union, or the FAA indicates that this weekend's cancellations were related to vaccine mandates," the Federal Aviation Administration wrote in a tweet Monday evening. There was no evidence that was the case, and the airline, its pilots union and the government all pushed back against the claims. Some leading conservatives claimed the disruptions were caused by pilots protesting Southwest's coronavirus vaccine mandate. He will be replaced by Robert Jordan, a longtime executive at the airline. Kelly announced in June that he plans to retire as Southwest's chief executive early next year but will continue at the company as executive chairman of its board. Kelly said that Southwest had "moderated" its schedule and was planning to hire more but that the airline was continuing to face higher rates of absenteeism because of the ongoing pandemic. Analysts say airlines' staff cuts during the pandemic are leaving them vulnerable as they seek to welcome travelers back. The disruptions at Southwest are similar to problems the carrier and some of its competitors faced over the summer. "We're confident more favorable circumstances will prevail the next time we welcome you onboard," one response from Southwest read. The airline was still churning through complaints from passengers on Twitter, offering apologies and aid to those who needed it. "There were no ATC issues over the weekend - that's absolutely true - but I think any industry expert knows that it takes several days if you have that large of an impact on the operation to get the airplanes where they need to be and then to match the crews up with that." "It just put the airline way behind on Friday," Kelly said. Kelly said the problems in Florida hit Southwest particularly hard because about half of its planes go through the state. But then they continued, leading to more than 2,000 canceled flights that left passengers stranded and seeking help. Southwest said the disruptions began with bad weather and air traffic control issues in Florida early in the weekend. The problems showed how small disruptions can snowball as airlines seek to recover from the pandemic. ![]()
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