A United Airlines passenger plane lands at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, New Jersey, on January 19, 2022.
Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | beautiful pictures
United Airlines will cut about 50 daily flights from Newark Liberty International Airport next month in an effort to ease delays that have disrupted travelers’ plans this year.
The cuts amount to about 12% of United’s schedule at the New Jersey hub and apply only to domestic flights, starting July 1.
United executives said the delays were the result of capacity constraints, airport construction and air traffic control – and not the airlines’ staff shortages.
The US aviation industry as a whole has struggled with a higher rates of flight cancellations and delays This year compared to 2019. Routine problems like thunderstorms have led to significant delays for travelers and staff shortages at some airlines have hampered the spike in air travel. not this year. Airlines have also cut flights and destinations, citing a shortage of pilots.
Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg last week urge airline executives to make sure they don’t repeat a series of recent hiatuses over the 4th of July holiday and the rest of the summer.
“After several weeks of irregular operations in Newark, caused by a variety of factors including airport construction, we contacted the FAA and received a waiver allowing us to temporarily adjust our schedule. his program there for the rest of the summer,” Jon Roitman, United. The executive vice president and COO told employees in a note Thursday.
United said it has not ended service to any cities yet, 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 schedule, this waiver will allow us to eliminate approximately 50 daily departures which will help minimize the excessive delays and improved performance on time – not just for our customers, but for everyone flying over Newark,” he wrote.
From the beginning of the year to mid-June, 31% of flights in Newark were delayed, the second-worst rate in the country after Chicago Midway, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines is one of a number of service providers that have also cut their schedules this year.
