This archive report was first published on 10 October 2021.
Southwest Airlines faced a weekend of widespread cancellations, affecting thousands of passengers. The airline canceled over 1,800 flights on Saturday and Sunday, with 24% of all scheduled flights canceled on Saturday alone.
According to FlightAware, a tracking service, the cancellations were largely due to weather challenges in Florida and air traffic control issues in the same region. The airline's pilots union, the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, denied any involvement in the cancellations, stating that pilots were not participating in any official or unofficial job actions.
Southwest Airlines attributed the cancellations to weather challenges and air traffic control issues in Florida, which were compounded by unexpected air traffic control issues. The airline's chief executive, Gary Kelly, apologized for the disruptions and thanked customers for their patience.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that it had briefly suffered an air traffic control staffing shortage, but that the issue had long since been resolved. The FAA also noted that some airlines continued to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place.
Southwest Airlines' cancellations were in stark contrast to other major airlines, with American Airlines experiencing fewer than 70 cancellations on Sunday, or about 2% of its scheduled flights.
Southwest Airlines has faced similar disruptions in the past, including a series of widespread cancellations in June 2021, which were attributed to technological problems. The airline's pilots union is currently suing the airline over a series of unilateral actions, including a vaccination mandate that was announced last week.
