Southwest Airlines cancelled over 1,800 flights in the past weekend.
Both the company and the pilot union claimed that the issue had nothing to do with the COVID-19 mandate.
Southwest requires that employees be vaccinated before December 8.
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According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there is no evidence Southwest Airlines' weekend operational problems were caused by vaccine mandates.
This is in line with what the company and its pilots have been saying. According to Bob Jordan, the incoming CEO of The Dallas Morning News, "There is absolutely no evidence that any type of job action has taken place."
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (the union that represents nearly 10,000 pilots) released a statement this weekend. It stated it could "with confidence" say that operational difficulties are not caused by "any official or informal job action."
These statements are coming after Southwest had to cancel over 1,800 flights Saturday and Sunday. It claimed that the cancellations were due to weather-related problems and air traffic control issues.
Ted Cruz, a Republican senator from Texas, attempted to tie the airline's logistical issues to President Joe Biden’s proposal, which was not yet in force, that large-company employees be vaccinated and/or tested for COVID-19.
Southwest announced that all employees will need to be vaccinated before December 8th, with exceptions for religious and medical reasons.
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