American, Delta, United, and Southwest anticipate a busy summer season for the industry. According to aviation data analytics firm Diio by Cirium, June 2021 is busier than June 2019. The four major US airlines are dealing with 650,000 flights booked for June.
As 1 in every 4 American adults is fully vaccinated, carriers are dealing with pent-up travel demand. Allied Pilots Association spokesman Dennis Tajer said that “it’s a good problem to have with so many people expected to fly”. He added that “but it takes a long time to crew up an airplane and try to undo the cuts from the last year”.
Based on the US Department of Transportation’s data, the airline industry has let go of more than 41,000 employees since March 2020. On top of that, crew members had to work reduced hours to keep the airline industry afloat.
Gearing up For Summer Travel
But this time around, airline companies recently announced that they are hiring more pilots. American Airlines spokesperson Lindsey Martin said that they are “gearing up for the May schedule”. Compared to 2019’s number, Martin mentioned that they are around 80% compared to the summer of 2019. American Airlines’ 8,000 flight attendants furloughed last October will be back by May. And by the end of the year, American’s 1,605 pilots could be returning.
Thanks to the $12 billion government support, American managed to pay its 17,500 furloughed employees from December 1 onwards.
In anticipation of summer travel, the same thing is happening with Southwest Airlines. The Dallas-based airline is looking to recall 209 pilots that took voluntary leave when the pandemic was at its peak.
Industry optimism is now at an all-time high since the pandemic started. American Airlines last month reported that bookings were at 90% of their 2019 level. One of the reasons for this renewed interest in traveling is the vaccination roll-out. Also, the CDC now changed its stance on fully vaccinated travelers. According to the health agency, those who completed their vaccine doses face low risk when they travel.
