American Airlines to cut 1% of July flights as travel rebound strains
operations
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 [June 21, 2021]
(Reuters) - American Airlines on
Sunday said it would cancel around 1% of its flights in July to serve a
surprise uptick in travel demand at a time when the airline struggles
with unprecedented weather and a labor shortage at some of its hubs.
American Airlines said the move would bring additional resilience and
certainty to its summer operations.
"(We) feel these schedule adjustments will help ensure we can take good
care of our customers and team members and minimize surprises at the
airport," the company said in a statement.
The airline said its cancellations were targeted at impacting the
smallest number of customers "by adjusting flights in markets where we
have multiple options for re-accommodation."
The announcement was first reported by the WSJ.
Airlines and other transportation operators have seen a quick ramp up in
demand as U.S. COVID-19 vaccination rates increased and travel
restrictions lifted in recent weeks.
According to data from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration,
nearly 50 million airport passengers were registered in May, up 19% from
April. So far in June, the TSA has registered nearly 35 million air
passengers.
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A member of a ground crew walks past American Airlines planes parked
at the gate at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, U.S.,
April 5, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
American Airlines said the incredibly quick ramp up
of customer demand also came at a time when bad weather caused
multi-hour delays over the last few weeks, disrupting flight and
crew work hours. The company said some of its vendors were also
struggling with labor shortages, impacting the airline's operations.
(Reporting by Tina Bellon in Austin; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
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