Regional airline discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccine because of increased passenger demand

American Airlines subsidiary Piedmont Airlines discouraged pilots from getting COVID vaccines last weekend "due to high demand" for flying, according to a memo obtained by CBS News.

In the memo sent last Wednesday, Piedmont Airlines Chief Pilot John Pursell told the regional carrier's 500 pilots, "Piedmont will be unable to release any additional pilots for COVID vaccination for the weekend of March 19-21 due to high demand." Demand for travel has been on the rise throughout March, hitting a pandemic high of more than 1.5 million passengers screens at TSA checkpoints on Sunday.