As Americans prepare for a patriotic Fourth of July weekend, they can expect delays and airline cancellations as critics blame vaccination mandates for pilot shortages as travel chaos continues for a second straight week.
In the US, more than 500 flights were already canceled and more than 2,000 delayed as of Wednesday, with New Jersey’s Newark Liberty topping the American list with 45 flights cancelled.
A total of 1,800 flights were canceled in the United States this week, Hill said, and more than 5,300 flights were canceled between June 16 and June 20, according to CBS News.
The mess has now spread to Canada, with Toronto Pearson International Airport canceling 48 flights on Wednesday.
A behind-the-scenes video obtained from abc newsshows hundreds of passenger bags stacked on the floor on a large stationary conveyor belt and in neat rows.
A spokesman for the airport told ABC News that flight delays and cancellations were due to staff shortages and a “temporary mechanical malfunction” that resulted in a baggage jam.
More than 500 flights were already canceled in the United States on Wednesday and more than 2,000 were delayed as passengers prepare for a stressful travel weekend
Passengers wait in long lines at Atlanta airport
In addition to Southwest, Delta has already reduced its flight schedule. Delta Airlines said pre-pandemic employees were working more overtime than 2018 and 2019 combined, and expects “operational challenges” this weekend.
US airlines are struggling to keep up with demand, which is higher than last year, due to staff shortages and weather-related issues. The airlines also blame the FAA for not having a proper summer travel schedule to help with the pitfalls the industry is currently facing.
However, the Bill O’Reilly Show found that airlines received more than double the number of pilot applications they received in 2020. Eight thousand new pilots were certified, according to O’Reilly.
“They lie, they lie,” he said. “They’re just so disorganized across the board.”
Additionally, the Biden administration blames airlines, saying it has been given billions in stimulus money to stay afloat during the pandemic and should stick to the timeline it has published.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg said earlier this month that airlines have until July 4 to sort out the problems and fix the problems so travelers can enjoy a smooth summer holiday.
EXCESS BAGGAGE: Large piles of luggage at Toronto Pearson Airport.
A spokesman said flight delays and cancellations, airline staff shortages and “temporary mechanical malfunctions” with the baggage system all led to the problems. https://t.co/EAhrTWPhaW pic.twitter.com/I3LDskcp4N
– ABC News (@ABC) June 29, 2022
The travel chaos has also reached Toronto (pictured), where luggage is being backed up and travelers are also struggling with delays
An estimated 48 million Americans are expected to travel this weekend, with 3.5 million expected to take to the skies.
Delta Airlines said its employees were working more overtime before the pandemic than they did in 2018 and 2019 combined, and expects “operational challenges” this weekend.
It says passengers can rebook trips if they encounter travel delays over the weekend. The only catch is that passengers have to keep their destinations.
The announcement comes two days before Delta pilots plan pickets in seven major cities, including New York and Detroit, according to CBS. Additionally, Delta has already canceled 100 daily flights and Southwest has canceled 20,000 this summer, making it even harder for busy airports to keep up with enthusiastic travelers, CBS News reported.
A recent deal with ALPA, the largest pilot unit, also negotiated a 14 percent pay rise for United Airlines pilots, who earn an average of $160,000 a year over 18 months. Delta pilots are currently in the midst of contract negotiations and are also demanding a pay rise and better retirement benefits, as well as flight schedule changes to reduce disruption.
Pilots have also criticized airlines for creating a chaotic travel season due to Covid vaccination regulations.
A Southwest pilot said during a protest where 1,300 Southwest workers picketed outside Dallas Love Field Airport earlier this month that he thinks the mandate is the root cause.
“I think it’s because of the COVID vaccines — they still require vaccination for all new applicants, and if the new applicants say they don’t get vaccinated, their application is passed over,” pilot Tom Bogart told News Nation .
He said many “highly qualified applicants” were being passed over because they weren’t vaccinated.
Delta pilots stand outside New York’s Grand Central Terminal June 16 to protest the harsh work environment as they demand better pay and retirement plans amid the chaotic travel year. Pilots from the Southwest also recently protested outside of Dallas Love Field
“The executive order [for mandating vaccines] is not dead,” he told News Nation.
He said pilots are still “passionate” about flying and “love what we do,” but said the focus needs to be on the airlines, not the pilots.
“You have to ask Southwest Airlines, ‘What are you doing proactively?’ We are still in the same place as last summer. We’re still in the same place we were over the holidays,” he said earlier this month.
Almost a year ago, pilots were talking about the mandate and many were leaving the industry or retiring – although airlines are yet to give an exact figure on how many actually resigned.
Ahead of a Memorial Day, a travel expert, Brian Kelly, told Fox Business he expects pilot shortages will only worsen as the summer travel season progresses due to the pilot shortage.
Another reason he said the shortage could occur is the cost of becoming a pilot.
“It’s really expensive to become a pilot,” he told Fox Business in May.