Santa Barbara Airport reports it wasn’t affected by Southwest Airlines’ cancelations.
Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend and into Monday, but the Santa Barbara Airport has not experienced the nationwide problem.
Two Southwest flights were delayed because of mechanical issues rather than a carrier issue, an airport spokesperson told the News-Press.
The airline has attributed the mass cancelations to “air-traffic control issues and disruptive weather,” but the challenge appears isolated to Southwest Airlines.
Other major budget airlines canceled just 2% of flights this weekend — a fraction of Southwest’s nearly 30% cancelation rate, according to FlightAware.
Southwest Airlines announced a vaccination mandate Oct. 4, and some speculate the cancelations could be a product of an employee protest of the policy.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association says that is not true.
“Our Pilots will continue to overcome SWA management’s poor planning, as well as any external operational challenges, and remain the most productive Pilots in the world,” the union said in a statement. “They will continue to be focused on their highest priority — safety. SWAPA Pilots are true professionals and will always maintain the highest level of responsibility to their crews, their passengers, and our airline.”
email: ahanshaw@newspress.com
