Delays and cancellations have plagued air travel, and the Fourth of July weekend may be the biggest test yet for the airline industry, which has faced scrutiny from the public, federal regulators, and investors.
With ongoing staffing shortages and extreme weather events persisting, the flight cancellations and delays in June were higher than before the pandemic. And airlines and federal officials have been scrambling to ease frustrations ahead of the busy holiday weekend, reports CNBC News.
Staffing challenges seem to be topping the list for almost all airline executives, with a few weighing in on the problems being faced. “Most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren’t enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years,” Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United Airlines, said in April.
This week, Delta took the unusual step of allowing travelers to change flights for free, without paying a difference in fare, if they can fly outside of the busy July 1-4 weekend, if they can travel anytime through July 8.
JetBlue Airways offered attendance bonuses for flight attendants this spring to ensure solid staffing. American Airlines regional airline Envoy is offering pilots triple pay to pick up extra trips through July.
As of Friday afternoon, there were 3,298 flights delayed in the U.S. and 349 flights canceled, according to FlightAware. Looking into the weekend, airlines have preemptively canceled a little more than 100 flights within the U.S., and experts are expecting delays to follow.
According to Barron’s, airline executives have pointed fingers at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), flagging staffing issues with air-traffic control. The FAA, as well as some high-profile lawmakers, have pushed back, arguing that airlines had received billions of dollars in pandemic relief.
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont sent a letter Wednesday urging Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to fine airlines for flights delayed more than two hours, and for scheduling flights they can’t properly staff.
“Taxpayers bailed out the industry during their time of need,” he wrote. “Now, it is the responsibility of the airline industry and the Department of Transportation to ensure, to the maximum extent possible, that the flying public and crew members are able to get to their destinations on time and without delay.”
Delta’s chief executive, Ed Bastian, posted a note on Thursday that seemed to be an effort to get ahead of any holiday travel pain: “If you’ve encountered delays and cancellations recently, I apologize.”
