An airline CEO is warning travelers that other airlines will not be able to handle all the flights they plan to operate this year.
This will lead to more unrest.
United Airlines President Scott Kirby It said airlines operating as if this were 2019, before the pandemic, are bound to struggle.
According to Kirby, the industry suffers from a shortage of pilots and other workers, outdated technology and pressure on the FAA.
New cost-increasing pilot contracts at American Airlines
“The system simply can’t handle the volume today, let alone the projected growth,” Kirby said. “There are a number of airlines that can’t fly their schedules. The customers are the ones who pay the price.”
Kirby used the troubles Southwest Airlines had over the holidays without naming the carrier by name.
It was on the southwest scrub Nearly 17,000 flights took off in late December after a winter storm upended the schedule and overwhelmed the airline’s crew scheduling system.
“What happened over the holiday wasn’t a one-time event caused by the weather, and it wasn’t just on one airline,” he said. Alaska, Spirit and Frontier also had double percentages of canceled flights in late December.
Vacation Trip Cancellations: Learn about airline policies and best options
Kirby made these statements during company meetings Fourth quarter earnings call With analysts and reporters.
Kirby pointed to the investment his company has made in technology, has more staff per flight than before the pandemic, keeps more spare planes and doesn’t push the schedule as much.
United Airlines places huge order for Boeing Dreams
However, these steps have raised the cost of flying a mile, not counting fuel, by about 15% above the 2019 level.
After the stock market closed Tuesday, Chicago-based United reported a profit of $843 million for the fourth quarter and predicted that its 2023 earnings would easily beat Wall Street expectations.
Click here for the FOX Business App
ribbon | protection | else | they change | change % |
---|---|---|---|---|
UAL | United Airlines Holdings | 48.86 | -2.34 | -4.57% |
Shares of United Airlines Holdings Group Inc. 4.6% on Wednesday and another 1% in extended trade.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
“Beer aficionado. Gamer. Alcohol fanatic. Evil food trailblazer. Avid bacon maven.”