Officials of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association say that poor scheduling practices are causing an epidemic of pilot fatigue, raising safety concerns.
In an open letter obtained by Fox Business and addressed to Southwest CEO Bob Jordan, the Southwest Airlines Pilot Association stated that the number of fatigue reports made to airline safety groups has “been climbing exponentially.”
Southwest’s fatigue problems started last summer when the number of travelers began to approach pre-COVID-19 levels. Air travel rates and revenue fell during the height pandemic, resulting in industry-wide layoffs and resignations, but things have picked up for the travel sector since restrictions were relaxed.
United States airlines saw about 2,000,000 passengers per day in March, nearly 90% of the amount that flew pre-pandemic.
Unfortunately, this increase in air travel has put a strain on Southwest’s depleted staff, particularly its pilots.
According to Southwest Airlines’ union officials, the number of pilots asking to be relieved from a flight was 330% higher in March than it was for the same month in previous years, and April is already setting pilot fatigue records.
However, WFAA reported Brandy King, spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, said that the airline saw a steady decline in pilots calling in for fatigue after schedule changes in November. The airline says the March increase was expected, as weather-related cancellations disrupted flight schedules.
Southwest has also attempted to mitigate the fatigue by hiring more staff, but union officials say that response is insufficient.
The letter argues that both acute and cumulative fatigue is the “number-one” safety threat for the airline.
“This dramatic increase in safety reports is a direct result of operational mismanagement by the company that has negatively impacted every front-line employee at Southwest Airlines as well as tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of our guests,” the letter alleged.
In contrast, King said that an increase in Southwest’s pilot fatigue reports is not necessarily a bad thing. If nothing else, she explained, the number of fatigue call-ins reported is evidence of effective safety measures, as pilots can determine whether they are in good condition to fly.
King stated the airline has “systems in place that do not allow [it] to schedule crew without their required 10 hours of rest,” noting that “if there are instances where pilots were unable to obtain 8 hours of sleep within that 10-hour window, [Southwest] will review those circumstances and respond.”