Posted on 06/20/2022 8:17:32 PM PDT by Morgana
American Airlines is ending service to three cities due to a 'regional pilot shortage' as thousands of frustrated customers are battling flight cancellations and delays.
An American Airlines spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Monday the company 'made the difficult decision' to drop service to airports in Toledo, Ohio; Ithaca, New York and Islip, New York beginning September 7.
The airline cited a pilot shortage currently affecting the entire airline industry.
American is allegedly contacting customers scheduled to fly after the route termination date in an effort to 'offer alternate arrangements.'
The airline also said it is 'extremely grateful for the care and service our team members provided' at the impacted airports and claims to be 'working closely with them during this time.'
It is unclear if impacted staff will be utilized at other airports in which American operates as travel demand has caused chaos at nearly every U.S. airport.
The news comes as more than 3,600 flights were delayed within, or coming into or exiting the United States, and over 380 were canceled, according to Flight Aware.
American, which is one of the largest air carriers in the U.S., canceled three percent of its routes on Monday. Eighteen percent of routes were met with delays.
Ongoing flight disruptions have left passengers outraged, with many complaining their children were left sleeping on filthy airport floors while airlines struggle to rebook flights.
Some travelers claim they were sent home from the airport or forced to rent a car after their ticketed airline failed to provide a new route.
The 'Armageddon travel weekend' that saw more than 20,000 flights canceled or delayed is expected to continue throughout the week. More than 100 flights have already been axed on Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“Then again I suspect the pilots have gone on to better jobs that don’t require the jab”.
I’d say your suspicions are correct.
A pilot shortage and sky-high fuel prices means that whenever a plane is not full, it gets removed from the schedule. JMO.
Ithaca and Toledo have alternate airports, but I will miss Islip on Long Island when the airport gets closed and sold to developers.
Islip? That sucks, not enough destinations from Islip to start with. All American did as it was was a shuttle to and from Philadelphia like twice a day, about a 40 minute flight each way but you could connect there to go basically anywhere.
It is more than just Pilots - I sat on a run way at O’Hare last month because they were short on baggage handlers. Midway is always short on ground crews and gate agents.
One of my business partners was delayed for two hours in Tampa because they were short on the refueling crew.
This all because the DOT will not let unvaxed workers back on the job
People with skills are going Galt.
Not just the pilots who refused the clot shot....
some other pilots got the jab, had heart related issues, and then loss their medical certificate, effectively grounding them.
Didn’t know American was still in business . I have never had a good experience on an American airline and I have been flying since I was a young man in the late 70’s . Can’t beat Asian .
Yes people had other options in many cases I’m sure. I’m sure flight attendants weren’t crazy about masks 8 hours a day either.
FYI, it’s not just an American problem....you see the flights cancelled in Europe as well. A lot of complaints going on with people eager to have a real summer vacation after two years of Covid.
it’s not just pilots that were affected- the health care services were severely impacted too- even dentistry is suffering- was told that the local health center will no longer be doing extractions and filling cavities ‘due to staff shortages’
The covid crap has severely damaged many businesses with their unconstitutional mandates- and it iwl l take a long long time to recover- provided there aren’t more plandemics i n the near future-
This is what happens when communists seize control of your country.
You were warned.
Maybe people can catch a ride on a garbage barge.
It takes 1500+ hours of flight time and at least two years usually three to train to be a commercial pilot with at least one type rating. The costs are $95,000+ so it is doubtful that many would walk away from that much in debt, and skills time to just find another job. I personally know a dozen commercial pilots we fly together recreationally or for personal travels and smoke cigars on the regular. The ones who left the industry are for the most part boomers aging out and taking their much earned retirements. Out of those dozen I don’t know a unvaxxed one that has not been an issue at least to this group of friends.
On a side note ATP flight school has put out the cattle call for anyone with a PPL and IMC rating; regional airlines are offering to pay that 90 grand of the person signs a retention agreement and a noncompete.
My gf just came back seamlessly on Singapore Airlines from Davao, through SIN and Narita. Every flight arrived early, including the final Alaska Airlines flight from LAX to GEG.
It would seem like with over a million illegals coming in every year, airline pilots would be a dime a dozen. sarc/
A pilot shortage that was completely manufactured by vax mandates.
I met a few of them here at John Wayne airport working for private jets aka time shares. They love it. Those who live in other sates did the same thing. They told me more horror stories to other pilots who got vaxxed, and the aftermath. It was insane..
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