PORTLAND, Ore. — Alaska Airlines announced on Monday morning that it had canceled 40 flights due to an ongoing shortage of pilots, impacting about 6,000 travelers, with more cancellations possible throughout the day.
The latest wave continues a four-day trend of widespread flight cancellations for the airline, which pulled the plug on 73 flights on Sunday, 88 flights on Saturday and 120 flights on Friday.
The impact at Portland International Airport appeared to be smaller on Monday than in some other cities.
The airport's online arrivals and departures board showed three canceled Alaska flights, compared with 30 at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, although nearly 30 another Alaska flights at PDX were listed as delayed.
Alaska Airlines pilots in multiple major west coast cities staged a series of informational pickets on Friday to put pressure on the airline during ongoing contract negotiations with the Air Line Pilots Association International, the union that represents the pilots.
The union said Alaska Airlines did not adequately prepare for a return to air travel after the pandemic and needs to offer better pay and job protections, while the company argued that its current salary offers are competitive.
A representative for the pilots told KING 5 that the picket didn't directly cause the cancellations, but said the union has argued for months that pilot shortages would become an issue if the contract wasn't resolved, because the airline would struggle to attract and retain pilots.
Press releases from Alaska Airlines over the past four days have also not directly linked the picket to the cancellations.
Editor's note: the video in the media player above originally aired on Friday, April 1.