American Plans on Continued Cancellations into July

Washington D.C., USA - July 26, 2016: Delta Airlines jet takes off as an American Airlines planes taxis out for an early morning departure from Reagan National Airport in Washington D.C.

With more demand than they can accommodate, American Airlines is planning to cancel over 900 flights into the first two weeks of July 2021. Although the flights represent around one percent of their schedule, analysts are questioning the strategy.

As flyers head back to the airport in nearly pre-pandemic numbers, American Airlines is experiencing trouble maintaining the staffing needed to keep aircraft running. Bloomberg reports the Fort Worth-based carrier is planning on cancelling 950 flights between July 1 and July 13, 2021, to maintain their schedule.

Cancellations Due to Staffing Issues at American

The cancellations come after a tough weekend for the airline, after crew shortages and poor weather conditions forced the carrier to cancel over 300 flights on June 19 and 20, 2021. The perfect storm of issues forced the airline to cut back and reconsider some of their operational plans.

Under their latest plan, American will cancel 950 flights over the first two weeks of July, as the demand for travel rapidly increases. An airline executive speaking to The Wall Street Journal noted the goal of the cancellations was to prevent disruption like what was seen in 2019, when weather and issues with their mechanics unions combined to create major problems.

American’s staffing issues are causing concerns among analysts. In an editorial for Reuters, global deals editor Lauren Silva Laughlin notes American’s issues may have been avoidable.

Remember when taxpayers gave airlines billions, cheap or free, with the stipulation to keep staff on payroll? Then remember when airlines found workarounds, laid people off anyway? And, now, want to travel to see your family for a reasonable price? Hmmm… https://t.co/VuzkD6guf6

— Lauren Silva Laughlin (@TheRealLSL) June 21, 2021

“The $14 billion airline said that it would trim roughly 1% of its flights in July as a sharp uptick in travel demand put strains on some hubs,” Laughlin writes. “The company blamed vendor staffing shortages and bad weather in a statement. But staffing up in advance of the expected pickup would likely have allowed American to avoid cutting routes when the going got good.”

But staffing issues might not be the only sticking point for American. Speaking to Bloomberg, Allied Pilots Association spokesperson and American captain Dennis Tajer noted that American’s scheduling system may not be working to maintain the expanded schedule.

As American Scrambles, Delta Announces Hiring Spree

While American is doing what they can to maintain operations, Delta Air Lines is preparing to welcome over 1,000 new pilots to their ranks. CNBC reports the carrier announced the hiring spree in a memo to their employees, heralding the moment as exciting for new recruits, as well as those who have been with the carrier who want to progress upwards.