• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis

1

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave

2

FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’

3

He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
Southwest Airlines

Southwest says surge of flight cancelations had nothing to do with vaccinations

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 11, 2021, 1:56 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Southwest Airlines is pushing back against talk that this weekend’s schedule troubles were tied to COVID-19 vaccinations.

The airline cancelled more than 1,000 flights over the weekend, leading to frustrated passengers and nervous investors. (The stock is down about 2% Monday.) However, despite whispers it was due to a labor demonstration by the pilot’s union, which is opposing the company’s COVID vaccine mandate, Southwest says the problems were due to “disruptive weather” and air traffic control “issues”.

No other carriers saw delays or cancellations anywhere close to Southwest’s numbers, however.

Southwest, on Sunday, cancelled 1,124 flights, according to flight-tracker service FlightAware. On Monday, that number was down to 363 – an improvement, but still considerably more than any other major U.S. carrier.

Southwest’s pilots have asked the courts to block the carrier’s vaccination mandate, saying it has violated terms of the Railway Labor Act, which oversees airline-union relations. That, combined with the many cancellations, led to speculation that there were excessive sick calls this weekend. The pilot’s union, though, said that was not the case.

“We can say with confidence that our Pilots are not participating in any official or unofficial job actions,” the pilots union said in a statement Saturday.

Southwest had previously warned of forthcoming flight schedule cuts, saying in August that it continued to struggle with staffing issues and was attempting to better align its employee operations.

Between Oct. 7 and Nov. 5, however, those daily cuts were only expected to average 162 flights per day. 

More must-read business news and analysis from Fortune:

  • Where Zillow says home prices are headed in 2022
  • Fortune’s 2021 Change The World list
  • Oatly learns that it’s not easy being “green”
  • Why companies are ditching the word “hybrid”
  • Gas prices have more than tripled in the last 18 months—and are likely to go higher

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 16, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for July 16, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 16, 2026
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for July 16, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago
Mortgage rates today, July 16, 2026
Personal Financemortgages
Mortgage rates today, July 16, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago
The MacKenzie Scott paradox: How a bull market lets billionaires give away tens of billions without getting poorer
EconomyMacKenzie Scott
The MacKenzie Scott paradox: How a bull market lets billionaires give away tens of billions without getting poorer
By Sydney LakeJuly 16, 2026
2 hours ago
Klook cofounder Ethan Lin thinks the U.S. can help grow one of Asia’s largest travel platforms
AsiaAsia Agenda
Klook cofounder Ethan Lin thinks the U.S. can help grow one of Asia’s largest travel platforms
By Angelica AngJuly 15, 2026
12 hours ago
ibm
Big TechIBM
‘We did not adapt and move quickly enough’: IBM CEO’s admission of weakness fails to prevent historic 25% stock crash
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 15, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
Law
26 Meta employees accuse Mark Zuckerberg of using AI to target 8,000 layoffs against workers on medical, parental or family leave
By Barbara Ortutay, Alexandra Olson and The Associated PressJuly 15, 2026
20 hours ago
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
C-Suite
FedEx CEO says we are in the middle of the biggest supply chain shift he’s seen in 35 years: ‘We are the referendum’
By Fortune EditorsJuly 15, 2026
18 hours ago
He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
Innovation
He sold his last company to Palantir. Now he's betting $32 million that robots can fix construction's labor crisis
By Lily Mae LazarusJuly 15, 2026
21 hours ago
Jamie Dimon understands why people are anti-rich: 'We have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind' and 'that's kind of annoying'
Economy
Jamie Dimon understands why people are anti-rich: 'We have, in fact, left the lower-income folks behind' and 'that's kind of annoying'
By Eleanor PringleJuly 15, 2026
22 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
2 days ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North America
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.