Southwest pilots vote to authorize strike

Southwest Airlines Co pilots’ union said on Thursday its members had
approved a strike mandate by an overwhelming majority ahead of the busy
summer travel season.

The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
(SWAPA), which represents 10,000 pilots of the Dallas-based carrier,
said 98% of its members participated in the vote and 99% voted in favor
of authorizing a strike.

Southwest said the vote result will not
impact its operations: “We are staffed and prepared to welcome travelers
for their summer travel plans.”

Southwest has been under
regulatory scrutiny since a staffing crisis due to bad weather during
the Christmas holidays overwhelmed its crew scheduling software,
disrupting travel plans for 2 million customers.”Pilots
(have) already made their voices heard about the operational disasters
and the lack of progress after three-plus years of stagnant
negotiations,” SWAPA said.

Earlier this month, pilots of American Airlines Group also approved a strike mandate.

(Aishwarya Nair – Reuters)