• American Airlines is canceling 1% of flights in July due to a travel surge.
• United Airlines CEO warns of a possible pilot shortage.
• Nearly 10,000 flights were delayed on Sunday.
Summer travel is surging, but it may not be the breeze you were hoping for.
A major US airline said it will cancel hundreds of flights, while another warned of a possible pilot shortage, as airlines face trouble meeting the demands of the post-pandemic travel boom.
It’s the latest blow for air travelers looking forward to vacations in the coming months.
American Airlines to cancel 1,000 flights in July
American Airlines said on Sunday that it would cancel around 1% of its flights in July due to the travel surge and other factors that the airline currently faces.
The airline cut around 1,000 flights from its July docket, according to Reuters, a move designed to bring flexibility and stability to the company through the summer months.
“(We) feel these schedule adjustments will help ensure we can take good care of our customers and team members and minimize surprises at the airport,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Most of the cancellations will occur in the first half of the month. Travelers on cancelled flights were automatically rebooked on other flights, but that poses a problem due to departure time changes, unforeseen connections, and other hiccups.
Travelers are being advised to keep up-to-date on their flights in July.
USA Today reported that passengers whose departure times were affected by more than four hours are eligible for a refund — and not the standard travel credit.
United Airlines warns of possible pilot shortage
In an interview with “Axios on HBO,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that the US could face a possible pilot shortage because the military isn’t producing as many pilots today as it did compared to the Cold War era.
United recently said domestic leisure fares have surpassed 2019 levels as travel returns following the pandemic.
While it’s unclear if the pilot shortage is a threat that could derail travel plans this summer, it’s a troubling development that United is looking to address.
Kirby said the airline hopes to train a new generation of pilots through its Aviate Academy, which committed to 50% of the class being women or people of color.
Even more delays due to weather, labor shortages
The New York Times reported nearly 10,000 flights were delayed in the US on Sunday, and Southwest Airlines took the spotlight with 30% of its fights delayed.
It didn’t get much better for rival airlines; 25% of American Airlines were delayed on the day.
Airlines blamed bad weather for the delays.
“The first few weeks of June have brought unprecedented weather to our largest hubs, heavily impacting our operation and causing delays, canceled flights, and disruptions to crew member schedules and our customers’ plans,” American Airlines said in a statement, via the report.
With passengers being warned about the possibility of being booted from flights due to weight restrictions — combined with the TSA facing a staffing shortage at 131 of the US’s largest airports, it seems that fliers are in for a complicated summer.
