"The weekend’s issues came amid speculation that they were driven by staff’s excessive sick calls tied to a federal vaccine mandate for government contractors that
Southwest told employees this month it would enforce this fall.
Southwest said that was “inaccurate” and “unfounded.”
The airline, like some of its rivals, has been struggling with staffing shortfalls for months. Southwest and other carriers urged staff to take buyouts or leave during the peak of the
coronavirus pandemic, only to have demand bounce back faster than expected."