Schedule changes and flight cuts, caused in part by an industry-wide shortage of pilots, have continually disrupted travel plans and frustrated passengers. This past holiday weekend was no exception.
The travel disruptions left many passengers frustrated over the Juneteenth/Father’s Day weekend after airlines delayed 4,200 flights and canceled as many as 900 flights across the country, according to FlightAware.
Many of those were in North Texas. On Saturday alone, there were nearly 70 cancellations out of DFW and more than 220 flight delays, FlightAware reported.
An American Airlines spokesperson stated that most cancellations were due to weather, reported NBC DFW News. However, one traveler, Logan Stammen, said he was told his flight was delayed first for equipment issues and then delayed again because of staffing shortages.
Dallas local Chaudhry Muzaffar told WFAA reporter Malini Basu that his Delta Airlines flight from DFW to Alaska was delayed three times.
“It’s becoming hectic,” said Muzaffar.
As reported by The Dallas Express, airports serviced by regional carriers have been hardest hit by the shortage of airline pilots.
Eleven regional airlines are currently operating in the United States: Air Wisconsin, CommutAir, Endeavor Air, Envoy Air, GoJet Airlines, Horizon Air, Mesa Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, PSA Airlines, Republic Airways, and SkyWest Airlines.
Because of the ongoing pilot shortage, some airlines are reducing or altogether eliminating service to some of the smaller regional airports.
Cirium, an aviation data provider for the travel, finance, aerospace, and aviation industries, reported that regional carriers operated 52% of all American Airlines flights in September 2019, compared to only 46% three years later.
Recently, Texas-based American Airlines announced the airline would cease flights to Islip, New York (ISP); Ithaca, New York (ITH); and Toledo, Ohio (TOL), effective September 7.
American’s regional carrier Envoy Air served Toledo’s Express Airport from Chicago O’Hare (ORD), while regional carrier Piedmont Airlines served both the Tompkins International Airport in Ithaca and the Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip from Philadelphia (PHL).
Each airport losing service is about an hour’s drive from another airport where American Airlines flies.
“We’re extremely grateful for the care and service our team members provided to our customers in Islip, Ithaca, and Toledo, and are working closely with them during this time,” stated American Airlines spokeswoman Andrea Koos. “We’ll proactively reach out to customers scheduled to travel after this date to offer alternate arrangements.”
United Airlines announced late last year that it would end service to 11 smaller cities, declaring operations in those markets unsustainable with 50-seat regional jets. SkyWest Airlines also plans to drop 29 cities because of the pilot shortage.
According to American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, the shortage of pilots from retirements and pandemic-related cutbacks has left the airline with a deficit of critical employees. This has caused the airline to park approximately 100 of its smaller regional jets.
The biggest constraint is the number of pilots American Airlines and its regional carriers can hire, said Isom. Roughly 7% of American Airlines’ 15,000 pilots accepted early retirement packages, and many more are expected to reach the mandatory retirement age soon.
“The airlines are up a creek without a paddle,” said Lillian Tamm, president of Avicor Aviation Inc., in an exclusive interview with The Dallas Express.
When asked if the pilot shortage would persist, Tamm responded, “It’s going to take a while. The airline industry anticipated an impending shortage before COVID-19, but after COVID, many pilots decided to get out and retire.”
“Many of these pilots came from a generation that entered the industry after a career in the military. We’ve seen less of that over the years,” added Tamm.
On a more positive note for travelers, American Airlines filed a new route from Charlotte (CLT) to San Jose, California (SJC), with daily seasonal service beginning on October 6 and ending on April 3, 2023.