American Airlines has said that it will cancel approximately 1% of its flights in July to serve a surprise uptick in travel demand at a time when the airline struggles with unprecedented weather and a labour shortage at some of its hubs.
American Airlines said that the move will bring additional resilience and certainty to its summer operations.
"[We] feel these schedule adjustments will help ensure we can take good care of our customers and team members and minimise surprises at the airport," the company said in a statement.
The airline said that its cancellations are targeted at impacting the smallest number of customers "by adjusting flights in markets where we have multiple options for re-accommodation."
The announcement was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
A Quick Ramp Up In Demand
Airlines and other transportation operators have seen a quick ramp up in demand as US COVID-19 vaccination rates increased and travel restrictions lifted in recent weeks.
According to data from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), nearly 50 million airport passengers were registered in May, up 19% from April. So far in June, the TSA has registered nearly 35 million air passengers.
American Airlines said that the incredibly quick ramp up of customer demand also comes at a time when bad weather has been causing multi-hour delays over the last few weeks, disrupting flight and crew work hours. The company said that some of its vendors are also struggling with labour shortages, impacting the airline's operations.
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