Ted Cruz blames 'illegal vaccine mandate' after Southwest cancelled almost 2,000 flights over the weekend leaving thousands of passengers stranded: Airline blames weather and air traffic control issues
Senator Ted Cruz took to Twitter to blame President Joe Biden for mass cancellations of flights over weekend
Southwest Airlines cancelled more than 1,000 flights Sunday, and 808 Saturday, leaving passengers stranded
The Dallas-based airline said air traffic control staff shortages and poor weather lead to the nixed flights
President of Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said delays were due to staffing and a 'poorly run operation'
Cancellations came two days after the firm's pilots' union asked a court to block a COVID vaccine mandate, sparking rumors that a pilot walk-out had been to blame for the cancellations
Rumors have swirled on social and traditional media that pilots may have walked out over the mandate
On Sunday, Jacksonville Aviation Authority COO Tony Cugno refuted the rumor in a letter, saying that the delays were in fact due to staffing issues at the Jacksonville International Airport
He claimed that many controllers had been getting their first or second COVID-19 vaccinations, which required them to take two days off to recover - leaving JAX air control short staffed
