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Tensed US airlines face a July 4 test – AFR


US airlines are bracing customers for what is likely to be another bumpy bank holiday weekend as the industry struggles to cope with a surge in travel demand likely to exceed its current capacity.

Yu Su, a computer science professor at Ohio State University, was stranded in Charlotte, North Carolina last Saturday night after his connecting flight home never departed.

The airline only canceled the 8:30 p.m. flight around midnight after numerous delays that created “the illusion of hope,” said Yu, who never received a clear explanation of the problem.

Such horror stories are common these days, sparking headlines warning of the Fourth of July weekend’s airport chaos and drawing scrutiny from Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and others in Washington.

In the past few days, aircraft tracking sites have reported hundreds of flight cancellations and thousands of delays.

In an effort to steer passengers away from “potentially challenging weekend travel days,” Delta Air Lines announced on Tuesday that it would waive change fees for customers who move a leg of their trip to the July 1-8 period.

– lack of pilots –

Although federal Covid-19 relief assistance meant airlines didn’t have to lay off staff, tens of thousands of workers left the industry after airlines pushed for early retirement.

Today’s industry has about 15 percent fewer staff compared to pre-pandemic times to handle about 90 percent of pre-2020 passenger traffic, analysts at consultancy Third Bridge estimated.

The lack of crew was the problem for Crystal Fricker’s last flight, which was canceled an hour before it was scheduled to depart from Raleigh, North Carolina for Indianapolis.

Unable to find separate flights for all three, the group managed to find a rental car – no small feat – and drove 10 1/2 hours, arriving on time for meetings at 1am the next day.

“Pretty much every flight I’ve been on has had some sort of delay,” said Fricker, president of Pure Seed, an Oregon seed company.

Pilots are the most acute problem in a broad airline industry labor shortage, said Peter McNally, an analyst at Third Bridge.

“There is no short-term fix,” McNally told AFP. “The problem is most evident during these seasonal peaks.”

The airlines say they are working to address the problem, hiring pilots and other staff and cutting summer capacity by 15 percent compared to previous plans.

Aviation industry officials, while acknowledging the problem of pilot supplies, point to other complicating factors, including turbulent weather, increased staff absenteeism due to Covid and insufficient air traffic control staffing at some key locations.

– finger pointing? –

“The industry is actively and rapidly doing everything it can to create a positive customer experience,” Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio said in a follow-up letter to Buttigieg after a meeting earlier this month.

“Not every air traffic variable is within an airline’s control.”

But the Federal Aviation Administration pushed back, saying it had “responded to agency staffing issues raised by airlines” by adding more air traffic controllers in high-demand areas.

“People expect when they buy a plane ticket to get to their destination safely, efficiently, reliably and affordably,” the agency said. “After the American people received $54 billion in pandemic aid to save the airlines from mass layoffs and bankruptcy, the American people deserve to have their expectations met.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont progressive, called on Buttigieg to fine airlines for delayed or canceled flights and to blow up the industry over the chaotic travel season and “outrageously high” airfares.

Airlines, meanwhile, are attempting to reset customer expectations.

In a message to frequent flyers on Thursday, Delta chief executive Ed Bastian acknowledged an “unacceptable” level of disruption, but said additional hiring efforts and the addition of more buffer time for crews should help.

“Things won’t change overnight, but we are on our way to a steady recovery,” said Bastian.

United Airlines expects nearly 5.2 million customers for the period ending July 4, up 24 percent from 2021 and 92 percent from 2019 levels.

“We expect the July 4 travel time to be one of our busiest travel days of 2022 to date,” a United spokesman said.

United earlier this month announced it would cut about 50 daily flights from its Newark, NJ hub.

A company memo cited “many factors, including airport construction,” adding that United had enough staff to stay on schedule.

Like United and Delta, American Airlines is in the midst of a recruiting campaign for pilots and other employees. The company hired 800 new pilots this year, Chief Executive Robert Isom said earlier this month.

The company’s regional airline, Envoy Air, is reportedly offering pilots triple pay for next month’s travel to avoid disruption.

American Airlines did not respond to AFP questions about the upcoming Fourth of July weekend.

#Tensed #airlines #face #July #test

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