Staffing Shortage Causes One Major Airline to Cut THOUSANDS of Flights in December

Traveling. Does that word fill you up with stress, or is it just us?

Gas prices are more unpredictable than ever, and flights are somehow even more unstable. We’ve seen staffing shortages, flight delays, and cancelations shake up air travel this year, with no end in sight. And if you’re flying to Disney World in December, you may struggle to find an available flight.

Staffing shortages are hitting every industry hard, including the travel industry. And, according to Orlando Business Journal, the pilot shortage at American Airlines caused them to remove more than 14,000 domestic flights from their December schedule — including dozens in Orlando.

This cut to flights will hit during the holiday season, which is when traveling hits its highest. It currently impacts the first two weeks of December, but the airline will likely cut more flights during the last two weeks of December. The cut in flights reflects a 4.8% decline in scheduled December flights for the airline.

American Airlines expects to have 158,156 flights in December of 2022, which is more flights than 2021, but 19,000 less flights than December of 2019.