Southwest Airline pilots picket to join growing industry discontent against decisions that lead to delays and cancellations
Southwest Airline pilots took to the field - the Dallas Love Field - in the hot sun on Tuesday, to protest what they see as poor management decisions that have led to brutal travel woes this summer. Fliers eager to travel have spiked demand (and prices) for flights, but have faced multiple cancellations and delays this summer from numerous airlines as the industry still struggles with the pandemic's aftermath, which led to decreased flights due to staffing woes that are still being exacerbated by Covid cases. Airline employees, unhappy with the increasingly long hours due to understaffing and sick employees, are asking for more pay and benefits, and are hoping that appealing to the frustrated public will help. Last week the Air Line Pilots Association posted an open letter to Delta customers, emphasizing that Delta pilots felt just as frustrated as their customers over increasingly unreliable schedules, and that a record number of overtime hours were being flown because there weren't enough pilots for the flights being scheduled. American Airlines pilots had also picketed near the New York Stock Exchange earlier this month, commiserating with frustrated travelers.
See "Southwest Airline pilots picket to join growing industry discontent against decisions that lead to delays and cancellations", David Koenig, Associated Press, June 21, 2022