If it was unsafe / too stressful to take off two days before an impending lockout, what about landing flights that were in the air when the grounding was announced? Were those on board at that time endangered?
Presumably, the crew on board would not know about it. Management would have been careful not to announce it via ACARS or official communication, right? Do pilots have access to other communication networks prior to landing?
Yes, it's been reported that pilots were made aware of the grounding in-flight and notified passengers.