The cancellation of more than 1,500 American Airlines flights over the weekend has been attributed by the company to weather and staffing issues, but one organization says the real reason is flight crews and pilots are “experiencing major stress.”
The airline cut 340 flights on Oct. 29, 540 on Oct. 30, and 650 on Oct. 31.
In a letter to employees that was obtained by The Epoch Times, American Airlines CEO David Seymour blamed staff shortages and bad weather.
“With additional weather throughout the system, our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences,” Seymour said.
“To make sure we are taking care of our customers and providing scheduling certainty for our crews, we have adjusted our operation for the last few days this month by proactively canceling some flights.”
A spokesman for the airline’s pilots’ union, Capt. Dennis Tajer, said poor weather and poor management were to blame for the cancelations—not the vaccine mandate.
But US Freedom Flyers, a nonprofit group that advocates for transportation industry workers and people who do not want vaccine mandates, says “not so fast.”
Kate O’Brien, director of media relations for the group, said the canceled flights are only going to get worse because pilots and crew members are calling in sick because of the stress they are feeling over the vaccine mandates.
“US Freedom Flyers does not condone or endorse work actions of any kind, but it appears as though flight crews have reached their breaking point,” O’Brien told The Epoch Times.
“Flight crews are acknowledging that because their unions and companies have broken their social contract, they are in a place where it is not safe for them to fly.”
