Memorial Day Weekend Witnesses Flight Cancellations at Less Than 1%

Despite the positive rate, there are still shortages of pilots and air traffic controllers in the industry.

The cancellation rate for flights during Memorial Day Weekend in the US remained at less than 1% on Sunday. The US Department of Transportation recorded the rate after the department's attempts to reduce the flight problems that travelers experienced in 2022.

This weekend, millions of Americans flew to celebrate the holiday. DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that the weekend was a test for the Airline Customer Service Dashboard, which is designed to inform travelers of their rights and hold airlines accountable when flight problems occur.

The DOT predicted that with the restrictions on pandemic travel eased, passenger numbers would reach levels not seen in the past since the pandemic ravaged industry. According to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV, in a press event held last week Secretary Buttigieg stated that airlines had worked to improve their on-time performance rate over the past few months.

The secretary stated that despite the low cancelation rate this year, performance over the weekend will continue to be closely monitored.

"This weekend is bringing the busiest travel days since before the pandemic, and a stress test for the airlines. Performance has been good so far - but we'll continue to watch closely and make sure passengers are supported."

New York airlines can now use larger planes that have more seats to provide a smoother travel experience during the weekend. In the Sunshine State, however, on-time performance of airlines is measured differently.

"In Florida, where believe it or not commercial space launches are now happening often enough that it can affect airline on-time performance, we are engaging the space sector to keep more of their launch windows and the accompanying closures clear of peak travel times," Buttigieg said.

The DOT is also working to address the shortage of air traffic controllers and pilots. Simple Flying reported previously that four major airlines would reduce flights to New York City airports due to a shortage of air traffic control this summer.

Buttigieg said that the Federal Aviation Administration is hiring more ATC employees to meet the increasing demand. The FAA predicted that despite its ongoing hiring efforts the ATC staffing levels in the region would be below 55%.

Buttigieg said that more people should pursue aviation careers, according to WSB-TV, in order to meet the demand for pilots.

"It's not about lowering the bar. It's about helping to get more people get an opportunity to do the work and then clear that bar," the secretary said. "There's some work that FAA can do to encourage people to go into these career fields... I'm confident the airlines can meet their staffing needs but it's not going to be overnight."

Earlier this week, the DOT proposed a rule requiring airlines compensate passengers for flight cancellations and delays. The DOT is yet to announce when the rule will be implemented.

 

Source: simpleflying.com