While the rate is favorable, the industry still faces shortages among pilots and air traffic controllers.
Cancellation rates among flights in the US during Memorial Day Weekend remained below 1% on Sunday. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) recorded the rate following the department’s efforts to reduce flight problems travelers faced in 2022.
Millions of Americans took to the skies this weekend for their travel needs to celebrate the holiday. With more than 50,000 flights scheduled last Thursday, DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the weekend would be a test of the system – the Airline Customer Service Dashboard – designed to inform passengers of their rights and keep airlines accountable for flight issues that occur within their control.
A low number of canceled flights
With pandemic restrictions eased, the DOT said it anticipated the passenger levels during the holiday weekend would be numbers not seen since before the pandemic ravaged the industry. In a press conference held last week, Secretary Buttigieg said that airlines have worked to significantly improve their on-time performance rates in the last few months, according to Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
On Sunday, Buttigieg tweeted the Memorial Day cancellation rates year of year.
Despite the low cancellation rate this year, the secretary said performance throughout the weekend would continue to be watched closely.
“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.”
Among the changes to ensure a smooth travel experience for passengers during the weekend, airlines are now reportedly allowed to utilize larger planes with more seats in New York. However, in the sunshine state, airlines’ on-time performance is challenged 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 in a statement to WSB-TV.
ATC shortages taken into account
The DOT has also been working to tackle the shortages of pilots and air traffic controllers. Simple Flying previously reported that four major airlines will reduce the number of flights to New York City area airports this summer due to the shortage of air traffic controllers.
According to Buttigieg, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working to hire more ATC workers to support the growing demand. Still, despite the ongoing hiring efforts, the FAA had predicted that ATC staffing levels would be less than 55% of the amount needed in the region.
What about more pilots?
Regarding the need for pilots, Buttigieg mentioned that more people should be encouraged to pursue an aviation career, according to WSB-TV.
“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 month, the DOT and the Biden Administration proposed a mandate requiring airlines to compensate passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations. As the rule is only planned now, the DOT has yet to indicate when it could be approved and go into effect.
Fuente: https://simpleflying.com/cancellations-below-1-percent-memorial-day/