Massive delays at Southwest and American Airlines in recent weeks have raised concerns regarding the airline industry’s staffing shortages. During the start of the pandemic, airlines had to cut costs by asking workers to take leave of absences and retirement packages. But when travel demand bounced back as vaccination rates improved, airlines had to deal with limited manpower for their operations.
Ex-NTSB Chair Jim Hall’s Airline Safety Concern
With recent concerns for staffing shortages, ex-National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jim Hall warned about airline safety. According to Hall, layoffs, furloughs, and early retirement created a shortage of experienced pilots, mechanics, and flight attendants. On top of that, air travel demand is picking up.
The ex-NTSB chair said on Fox Business that “It appears that some of the airlines are attempting to meet this demand”. However, Hall added that it is “not in a very structured way, but in a haphazard way”.
For the ex-NTSB chair, expanding operations too quickly can have consequences. He even compared it to the Boeing 737 Max crisis.
Staffing Shortages and Exhausted Workers
Airline workers complain about the current situation. The Association of Flight Attendants announced that their members are now “exhausted”.
Southwest Airlines Pilots Association says that pilots are pulling out of their flying schedule because of fatigue. And also, the union noticed a higher rate of “fatigue pull” than in the past. In October, Southwest pilots had 738 fatigue pulls. Historically, the average for October is only at 100.
Capt. Casey Murray who is the president of the union says that “The good news is our pilots are prioritizing safety over compensation”. He added that “operation is still safe, but there’s a lot of stress on it”.
And this isn’t an isolated case for Southwest Airlines. The Allied Pilots Association representing American Airlines pilots are also saying that they have higher fatigue pull numbers compared to 2019. However, the union wouldn’t share the exact numbers. American Airlines pilots also rejected the bonus pay offer of the company for them to fly on holidays. Instead, they want permanent changes to take place.
Capt. Dennis Tajer said that “More fatigue calls are good to bolster your safety margin, but it also tells us you’re running an operation at a rate that is not sustainable”.
