What’s Behind the Delays and Cancellations of Domestic Airlines?

Thousands of passengers were stranded this week due to bad weather that canceled hundreds of flights in the United States. But the storms, which are becoming more common due to climate change, are just one factor behind the headache that is becoming air travel in the United States. The labor shortage, both at U.S. airlines and at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control operations, worsens the situation.Labor ShortageDespite $54 billion in taxpayer funds being funneled to airlines to keep them afloat during the pandemic, most airlines significantly reduced their workforce during the first year of the pandemic when air travel plummeted. They were not allowed to involuntarily lay off employees but offered benefits, such as early retirement, to volunteers. Many also ended up permanently grounding older, less efficient aircraft. The rehiring of labor is taking longer than expected.The result is that the capacity of U.S. domestic airlines, measured by the number of available seats adjusted for miles flown, has dropped 10% in the current quarter compared to the second quarter of 2019, before the pandemic, according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company.And when problems occur, finding seats for passengers whose flights have been canceled becomes an issue, especially during peak periods.FAA IssuesThe lack of staff at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is cited as another problem by airlines.The CEO of United Airlines, Scott Kirby, in an internal company memo shared with CNN, said that last Saturday (24), the FAA reduced arrival rates at its main hub at Newark Liberty International Airport by 40% and departure rates by 75%, which was “almost certainly a reflection of the lack of staff / less experience at the FAA.””This led to significant delays, cancellations, diversions, as well as crews and aircraft out of position,” Kirby said. The situation was exacerbated by the bad weather that hit the region on Sunday night.The FAA has not commented on the situation. The spokesperson only said, “We will always work with anyone who is seriously willing to join us to solve a problem.”Meanwhile, passengers are at the mercy of a dysfunctional air system, which shows no signs of improvement in the short term.This Friday, the start of the four-day July holiday weekend, is projected by the Transportation Security Administration to be the busiest air travel day since the beginning of the pandemic.Good luck to those traveling by air within the U.S.Source: CNN