© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Passengers wait at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, US, on April 6, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/
Written by Rajesh Kumar Singh, Dwensola Oladipo, and David Shepherdson
(Reuters) – After two consecutive summers of travel chaos, US airlines are doing their best to prevent widespread flight disruptions in the face of surging demand.
Airlines have trimmed flight schedules, beefed up staff, and invested in airport infrastructure and technology to get ready for the busiest travel season of the year, starting with the traditional start on Memorial Day weekend.
Summer tends to be the most profitable season for airlines, but it’s also the busiest time of the year, which raises the stakes.
The Transportation Security Administration said Friday that it screened 2.658 million passengers Thursday, the highest number in a single day since November 2019.
Air America industry group estimates that 256.8 million passengers will fly in the June-August quarter, up 1% from the 254.6 million passengers in the same period in 2019.
“It’s kind of our Super Bowl,” United Airlines chief operating officer Toby Enqvist told Reuters.
Nobody wants a repeat of last December, when an operational meltdown at Southwest Airlines (NYSE:) canceled nearly 17,000 flights, disrupting the travel plans of two million customers.
However, the desire to travel for many is high.
Cihan Jeanty, 36, has planned trips to Florida, Mexico City and Asia this summer, thanks to her flexible work arrangements.
The Los Angeles marketing director isn’t interested in flight delays and cancellations even though it’s “not fun at all”.
“It really does happen,” she said, “so I really don’t let him dump me anymore.”
Nearly a quarter of all flights were canceled or delayed last summer, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.
A recent survey by consultant J.D. Power showed that customer satisfaction with major airlines has dropped significantly. The industry is also facing pressure from the Biden administration, which wants airlines to cash-compensate passengers for long delays.
Rising numbers of disagreements between travelers and airlines around the world are prompting new legislation and calls for stricter enforcement of existing rules to protect consumers.
‘this is a test’
US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Memorial Day this week would be a “test for the system.” He said that the rates of delays and cancellations were unacceptable last year and could not be repeated again.
Overall, 42.3 million Americans are expected to travel over the US Memorial Day weekend on May 29, AAA estimates.
The FAA estimates that approximately 313,000 flights will operate during the seven-day period ending May 30, up 4.5% from 2022 and just below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Online travel agency Hopper said demand is stronger for international flights this summer, sending ticket prices to Europe and Asia to the highest level in more than five years.
Airlines are doing much better this year, but a shortage of air traffic controllers has forced them to cut back on flights in the New York City area. They’re flying bigger planes to make up for fewer flights.
United (NYSE) CEO Scott Kirby said the FAA needs more resources to handle the growing number of flights. Buttigieg said the agency needs about 3,000 air traffic controllers, but added that weather issues and airlines are responsible for most of the problems.
United said it hired 7,000 employees including pilots, flight attendants, ramp operators and customer service agents this year in addition to the 15,000 last year.
It’s adding gateways in New Jersey, Denver, and Chicago. Inqvist said it has also added five new hangars around the world to repair its aircraft.
Rival Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE) has hired and trained more than 25,000 employees to handle the summer travel rush. Southwest said it will operate 7% more flights than last year, with a 15% increase in headcount.
David Seymour, COO of American Airlines (NASDAQ:) said the airline has learned from the past. American has invested in technology that allows it to plan weather events in advance and tasked general managers with ensuring proper staffing in its vendors.
“We’re really focused on building a plan that’s flexible,” he said in an interview.