Southwest Airlines makes deep schedule cuts
Southwest Airlines is making big cuts to its spring flight schedules.
The airline axed about 10% of its schedule through early June.
That represents over 14,000 flights cancelled as staffing shortages and high fuel costs bite.
As well as ‘continuing challenges with available staffing.’ other supply chain issues are also impacting costs.
It comes despite strong travel demand.
“The company’s current leisure revenue trends for spring break travel are strong and above 2019 levels,” Southwest said in a filing.
Southwest ecently said it hopes to hire about 8,000 new employees this year.
The airline recently increased its starting wage from $15 to $17 an hour in January, a bump that is expected to cost the company $20 million to $25 million this year.
“While we’ve got a great plan for 2022, it all comes down to hiring,” CEO Bob Jordan said earlier this year.
Other airlines are also being cautious.
United said it was trimming i capacity this year ‘in response to several macroeconomic factors, including rising fuel prices as well as expected aircraft delivery delays.’
United cut May schedules by 2,500 flights and over 20,000 flights per month during peak summer.
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