A United Airlines passenger plane lands at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey on January 19, 2022.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
United Airlines will cancel about 50 daily flights from Newark Liberty International Airport next month to reduce delays that have disrupted travelers’ plans this year.
The cuts total about 12% of United’s schedule at its New Jersey hub and will apply to domestic flights only from July 1.
United executives said the delays were the result of capacity constraints, airport construction and air traffic control — not airline staffing shortages.
The US airline industry has generally faced a higher rate of flight cancellations and delays this year than in 2019. Routine problems such as thunderstorms have caused extensive delays for travelers, and staffing shortages at some airlines have hampered a surge in air travel this year. Airlines have also cut flights and destinations, citing a pilot shortage.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg last week urged airline CEOs to ensure they don’t repeat a recent spate of disruptions over the July 4 bank holiday and the rest of the summer.
“Following the last few weeks of erratic operations in Newark caused by many factors including airport construction, we have contacted the FAA and received a waiver allowing us to temporarily adjust our schedule there for the remainder of the summer,” Jon Roitman, United executive vice president and COO, told employees in a note Thursday.
United said it is not suspending service to any cities at this time, but will reduce the number of flights it operates to certain markets.
“While we have the aircraft, pilots, crew and staff to support our Newark flight schedule, this waiver will allow us to eliminate about 50 daily departures, which should help minimize excessive delays and improve on-time performance – not.” just for our customers, but for everyone flying through Newark,” he wrote.
From the beginning of the year through mid-June, 31% of flights in Newark were delayed, the second-worst rate in the country behind Chicago Midway, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines are among the airlines that have also cut their flight schedules this year.