'Insanity...': US health expert on Southwest Airlines memo amid staffing crisis

'Insanity...' was epidemiologist and health economist Eric Feigl-Ding's baffled response to last week's memo by Southwest Airlines - the United States-based airline forced to cancel over 10,000 flights leading up to the Christmas weekend after a winter storm wreaked its flight and employee scheduling networks.

Feigl-Ding said operative parts of the memo - from the office of Chris Johnson, the airline's Vice President in charge of airport ops - said 'employees who call out sick will be fired (in the absence of a note hand-delivered by a doctor)...'. According to Feigl-Ding the airline also cancelled all personal leave and said staff refusing to work overtime would be sacked.

"I don’t understand this Southwest Airline memo to airport employees—

1) employees who call out sick will be fired if no illness note from a doctor IN PERSON (virtual doc not valid!) 2) No personal leave. Else termination! 3) refusing to work overtime ==> termination!

Insanity!"

The memo shared by Feigl-Ding cited 'an obligation to customers and to our fellow employees...' and claimed a state of 'operational emergency' that will remain in place 'until it is lifted by (a) memo from me (Chris Johnson) advising (you) of the same'.

"This is not the type of communication I (or any other leader) want to issue but it is necessary to get the Agents back on track in order to serve our Customers."

READ | 'Blizzard of the century': US monster storm death toll passes 50

Bloomberg reported that airline had confirmed the authenticity of the memo (and others in circulation) and that it had apologised to customers for the crisis.

The Dallas-based, domestic-focused carrier generally has a strong rapport with consumers, but drew withering explicative-filled rebukes on social media last week and this.

'If I were you...': Employee's warning

Labor leaders have also highlighted horror stories from stranded passengers and airline employees.

Mike Sage, a businessman, told news agency AFP 'it is a complete meltdown' and that he waited in line for two hours for a ticket that came with a warning.

"When (the attendant) handed me the ticket, she looked me in the eyes and said: 'If I were you, I would not count on this flight either. I would book with another airline. We have crews stranded all over, pilots sleeping on the floor in airports.'," he told AFP.

The storm that broke Southwest

It all began with a brutal winter storm that broke before Christmas (and led to over 50 deaths in the US) that affected all airlines in that country. However, while American Airlines and United Airlines seemed to return to normal by Tuesday, Southwest struggled.

By December 23, 90 per cent of Southwest’s routes were affected and then the employee scheduling system broke down - pilots were either out of position or resting under American aviation safety rules, leaving the airline with no choice but to cancel more flights.

READ | US' Southwest Airlines cancels over 10,000 flights amid Christmas storm

Over 10,600 flights were cancelled starting from a five-day stretch before Christmas and in the two days after the holiday, AFP reported.

The US government reacts

"Rate of cancellations and delays on Southwest is unacceptable… dramatically higher than other carriers," the US' Department of Transportation told AFP, adding it expects the airline to compensate travellers and 'do right' by its staff.

US president Joe Biden retweeted the agency's statement and Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, a Democrat from Washington, said her panel will investigate.

"Problems at Southwest over the last several days go beyond weather... the committee will be looking into the causes of these disruptions and its impact..."

Southwest has apologised for this debacle and described the inconvenience to customers as 'unacceptable' and labour unions point to chronic underinvestment as a problem exacerbated by the storm.

With input from agencies