Airlines are having a lot of trouble these days.
The main problem, of course, is that airlines don’t have enough pilots, so many people have been offered buyouts and early retirements during the pandemic, and airlines have been struggling to recruit and train the next generation. Some estimates believe the airline industry It is set for a shortfall of over 18,000 pilots every year for the next decade.
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But pilots aren’t the only travel staple that’s in short supply. There are also not enough aircraft and important aircraft parts, As a recent feature in Travel Weekly It indicates that the supply chain problems that have troubled airlines since 2021 have not yet receded.
Shortages of spare parts have been roiling the industry for a while now, as two of the largest aircraft manufacturers, Airbus (EADSF) and Boeing (Bachelor’s) – Get a free report, struggled to deliver aircraft on time, or to meet specific order numbers. Jet Blue (blue) – Get a free reportTo receive 29 aircraft from Airbus this year, but will instead have about 22.
Likewise, American Airlines (AAL) – Get a free reportIt is expected to take delivery of just 9 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft this year, instead of the 27 it had expected. Boeing plans to deliver 375 Boeing 737s this year, a significant drop from its January estimate of about 500 aircraft.
One major problem is that airlines are struggling to hire the workers necessary to keep up with demand, making it difficult to ramp up production to keep up with the recovery in air travel.