If you have summer plans and you recently booked a flight via American Airlines, it might be a good idea to check if it has been canceled. The airline is canceling hundreds of flights at least until mid-July. According to the airline, recent cancellations were due to “unprecedented weather” and staffing problems. To be more specific, pilot shortage.
Over the weekend, American Airline canceled more than 300 flights and 162 flights on Monday. Also, there were 760 American flights delayed on Sunday and even more on Monday. Though thunderstorms affected different airports in Dallas-Forth Worth International, O’Hare International, and Washington Dulles International to name a few, “unprecedented weather” isn’t the only thing responsible for their current situation.
Furloughed Pilots and Early Retirement
According to Capt. Dennis Tajer, who is the spokesman for the American Airlines pilots union, the problem started when the airline wanted to restore flight schedules to pre-pandemic levels despite their current pilot shortage. Last year, American Airlines tried to save money by offering retirement packages to their pilots. Tajer said that “About a thousand pilots took advantage of that”.
Then, you also have the furloughed staff. Though it seemed like a good idea at that time to stay afloat, now, “you have to train a new pilot into that seat” according to Tajer.
American Airlines eventually received bailout funds from the federal government that would’ve made it possible for them to pay their pilots and other employees. Unfortunately, American is now falling behind in certifying pilots and keeping all the flying requirements up to date. And according to Tajer, “American was the only major network to furlough pilots”.
Around 1,600 pilots had to go on leave for months. It also means that “they were not flying regularly or training on simulators to be certified to fly like they are required to be”.
American spokesperson Gianna Urgo said that the airline recalled the furloughed pilots in December 2020. They also started their training and work during that time. Urgo clarified that “pilot training remains on track”. The airline expects the recalled pilots to have completed all their training by the end of June.
But for Tajer, this is an overly optimistic estimate. The lack of instructors and the limited number of necessary flight simulators slow the process.
