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Airlines face many challenges this summer, including a pilot shortage that is causing flight delays and cancellations.
American Airlines says it is also facing several other bottlenecks.
According to CEO Robert Isom, providing pillows, blankets, plastic cups and food for flights is a daily problem.
As pilot shortages wreak havoc on airline schedules, leading to a spate of delays and cancellations, one airline faces additional bottlenecks impacting the inflight customer experience.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told investors on a conference call this week that the company struggles every day to provide many of the basic items made available to passengers for in-flight comfort, as first reported by inc
“Pilots are one piece,” Isom said. “But … not a day goes by that we don’t have trouble stocking our plane with pillows, blankets, plastic cups and food. At various times we have problems with refuelling.”
He continued, “It’s just a myriad of things that all have to come together to get a plane airborne. And yes, the aircraft parts supply chain is something we monitor closely. But it’s all these other things that we really do depend on so many other parts of the system.”
American Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
Regarding the pilot shortage, Isom reportedly said last month that American will raise salaries for 14,000 pilots even more than originally proposed to ease staffing problems. The news came weeks after the airline grounded 100 regional jets because it didn’t have enough pilots to fly them.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), a union representing more than 14,000 pilots at competitor United Airlines, voted last month to approve a tentative agreement that, if ratified, would give pilots a 14.5% pay rise, among other benefits, among other benefits would grant 18 months.
Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines has announced a new partnership with private airline Wheels Up to help pilots complete their training faster so airlines can hire them sooner.
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