Southwest pilots’ union says fatigue is a safety problem

DALLAS (AP) — Pilots at Southwest Airlines say fatigue from poor scheduling is a growing problem and is raising safety concerns. Leaders of the pilots’ union at Southwest said Tuesday that problems started last summer as Dallas-based Southwest began ramping up for the recovery in air travel, and they have gotten worse since then. The union officials say the number of pilots asking to be relieved from a flight assignment because of fatigue jumped 330% in March compared with the same month before the pandemic, and April is already worse. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association made the complaint as it negotiates with the airline for a new contract. A Southwest spokeswoman said the March fatigue calls show the system works.