An American Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner arrives for landing at Miami International Airport on December 10, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Redl | Getty Images
Scheduling program error allowed American Airlines Pilots gave up thousands of trips in July, their union said on Saturday, a headache for the airline as it tries to reduce flight interference during booming travel season.
Pilots skipped more than 2,000 July trips and each trip usually consists of at least two flights, the union said, so it could affect at least double that amount.
On Saturday alone, American had more than 3,000 mainline flights scheduled and were 93% full, according to an internal tally. However, unstaffed flights are an added strain on any airline.
It is difficult for airline employees to arrive in time in the summer as schedules peak to meet strong demand.
American said it is aware of the issue and has suspended a platform that allows pilots to change their schedule.
“We understand these are important tools for our pilots and are working as quickly as possible. We will provide updates throughout the day,” American told pilots in an email on Saturday.
The carrier did not immediately say whether cancellation was possible.
“They failed to get the IT systems running properly and now thousands of flights no longer have pilots,” said Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, a pilots union. He said the issue creates “uncertainty for passengers and pilots”.
a A similar case happened in 2017 as well., when a technical problem allowed American pilots to take leave during the busy December holiday period. The carrier offered 150% pay for pilots taking up assignments.