Southwest, American Airlines will comply with federal vaccine mandate despite Texas governor's order
Southwest Airlines plane.
DALLAS - Southwest Airlines says it will go against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest executive order and instead comply with President Joe Biden’s mandate requiring employees to be vaccinated.
The Dallas-based airline carrier made the announcement Tuesday morning in response the order Abbott issued Monday.
"No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19," Abbott wrote in his order.
RELATED: Gov. Abbott bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates by any 'entity in Texas'
Several major companies, including North Texas-based American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, have said they would abide by the federal mandate.
"According to the president’s executive order, federal action supersedes any state mandate or law, and we would be expected to comply with the president’s order to remain compliant as a federal contractor," Southwest said in a statement.
Last week, the Southwest Airlines pilots’ association filed a motion to block the airline’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for pilots.
Despite thousands of flight cancelations and delays over the weekend, the pilots’ association said it was not responsible for the problems.
RELATED: Frustrations mount as Southwest Airlines cancels more flights