More Airlines Cut Flights as Omicron Keeps Crews Grounded

Joe Cortez January 29, 2022

Image Source: Mathieu Marquer/Flickr

The continued spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant is forcing airlines to make difficult decisions, including where to cut services.

Multiple airlines announced the current crew shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and softness in bookings will force them to cut service in certain parts of the United States.

At least three airlines – American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines – will cut some of their flights due to a lack of available crews.

American and Alaska Cuts Affect Flights Close to Hubs, While United Worries about Asia

For Seattle-based Alaska Airlines, the cuts will affect operations near their home base. Portland, Oregon NBC Affiliate KGW-TV reports the airline will cut 194 flights out of Portland International Airport (PDX) in February and March 2022, including those to Boston, Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul. This is on top of the 10% reduction in flights announced in January 2021.

At American Airlines, the operations will directly affect flights out of their headquarters at Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW). Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA-TV reports the carrier will drop 1,600 flights in March 2022 alone, accounting for 54 flights per day. The carrier has not announced which routes will be affected by the staffing issues.

For United Airlines, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant is presenting challenges for both domestic and trans-Pacific travel. With a lack of pilots and crew at regional airports, combined with a noted weakness on Asian routes, the carrier is cutting some of their capacity as demand reduces on certain routes.

“As we look to the remainder of 2022, omicron is impacting near-term demand, and we’re reducing our capacity as a result,” United chief executive Scott Kirby told Routes Magazine. “But bookings continue to be strong for March and beyond, and our base case remains a continued recovery in demand, including international and business.”

The good news is that the Chicago-based airline will continue to operate the widebody aircraft designated for Asian destinations, including those featuring the Polaris premium cabin. Leaders for the carrier say they will redeploy those to other parts of the world, making them available for an anticipated increase in trans-Atlantic demand.

Recovery Plans Extend to 2023 and Beyond

Between crew shortages and concerns over control of the COVID-19 pandemic, airlines are now less optimistic that a full recovery will happen by the end of this year. The reduced expectations are in line with previous analyst predictions, which suggested we may not see pre-pandemic operations and revenues until at least 2025.