How about another helping of hassle with your upcoming travel plans? If you’re flying Delta Airlines between NYC and DC in August, you might want to check to see if your flight is still scheduled. Delta is reducing routes between the two cities. It’s the latest carrier to reduce operations at the behest of the FAA primarily due to air traffic control staffing issues.
In order to avoid massive delays and disruptions, the FAA asked airlines to voluntarily give up scheduled slots to avoid overwhelming the system as the industry continues to face staffing shortages. According to recent reports, two out of every ten air traffic controller jobs are empty. In response, about 10% of scheduled flights out of NYC will be cut—by United, American and Jet Blue in addition to Delta.
Delta’s NYC cuts will amount to 2,006 flights, just about 6% of its previously scheduled flights. About 37% planned cuts are between LaGuardia Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, though there are other options to fly between the two cities.
According to a Delta rep, the cuts “improve overall reliability in our operations” and were made “in domestic markets where our customers have plenty of options available so they can be easily re-accommodated.”
Next on the chopping block will likely be flights between NYC and Boston, so be sure to check any scheduled flights. With the continued staffing issues across the industry, hopefully these moves—as irritating as they are—will help reduce the number of delays we’ll have to deal with this summer.