Horizon Air planning more flight cancelations due to pilot shortage

Regional airline Horizon Air is in the midst of a severe pilot shortage and plans to pre-emptively cancel more flights this summer.

There is a shortage of manpower to pilot its Q400 turboprop planes and cancelations could continue into the fall and beyond.

The Alaska Air Group owned carrier canceled more than 300 flights in June.

Horizon CEO Dave Campbell announced measures in an internal memo seen by the Seattle Times.

"June will go down as our ‘bump in the road’ — our moment when things got too far off track, and now, we must decide how to recover," Campbell wrote.

"We have established a war room to daily manage potential cancellations."

It potentially affects 17,000 customers booked for flights from August.

"Horizon has been strategic in making sure wherever possible that we can rebook those guests with minimal impact," said Alaska Air spokeswoman Bobbie Egan.

To address the problem short term, Horizon is ‘offering 200 percent premium pay’ to pilots who are able to fly extra flights, Campbell said in the memo.

It is also offering hiring bonus incentives of up to $20,000 for Q400 pilots to join.

Also, starting pay for trainee pilots has been raised from $30 an hour to $40 an hour.