Days After Forcing COVID Shot On Workers, Southwest Airlines Cancels 1,800 Flights

Southwest Airlines canceled at least 1,800 domestic flights and delayed another 1,500 flights over the weekend, leaving thousands of U.S. travelers stranded and scrambling to find new transportation.

The widespread operational staffing shortage, which resulted in the termination of nearly 28 percent of the airline’s scheduled flights for the day, come less than a week after the company forced the COVID-19 vaccine on employees. Speculations swirled on social media that the cancellations were due to “sickouts” by employees protesting the shot mandate.

Southwest, however, told The Federalist that attributing the cancellations to the mandate is “unfounded rumor and speculation” and claimed the cancellations were due to “weather challenges” in Florida and “unexpected air traffic control issues in the same region.”

“With fewer frequencies between cities in our current schedule, recovering during operational challenges is more difficult and prolonged,” the airline said in a statement.

The Federal Aviation Agency, however, reported that “no FAA air traffic staffing shortages have been reported since Friday.”

The Southwest Pilots Association also vehemently denied the massive shutdowns were due to the company’s vaccine coercion.

“I can say with certainty that there are no work slowdowns or sickouts either related to the recent mandatory vaccine mandate or otherwise,” SWAPA President Casey Murray said in a statement. “Under the RLA, our Union is forbidden from taking job action to resolve labor disputes under these circumstances. SWAPA has not authorized, and will not condone, any job action.”