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Millions of Americans travel on the Fourth of July each year and there’s a good chance that if you attempted to fly the friendly skies on the holiday you were met with cancellations and delays.
Flightaware reported 1,248 delays across the U.S. and another 188 cancellations. Airlines have been faced with staffing shortages and inclimate weather across the U.S.. CNBC pointed out that cancellations and delays in June surpassed the rate before the pandemic.
The report pointed out that airlines are trying to adjust to the demand and staffing issues. Delta tried to incentivize travelers with the ability to change flights for free if they scheduled outside the Fourth of July Weekend and other airlines offered extra pay and bonuses to ensure proper staffing.
Airlines were met with uncertainty during the COVID-19 outbreak and cut thousands of jobs. Some employees also refused mandatory vaccinations to keep their jobs. (See “SOUTHWEST AIRLINES: “NO JABS, NO JOB…NO FLIGHT” and “UNITED AIRLINES TO ALLOW UNVACCINATED WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORK.”)
William McGee, senior fellow for aviation at American Economic Liberties Project, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that some of these positions “cannot be filled quickly, like pilots.”
“There’s just no way it’s going to be fixed this summer,” he said.
The Trends Journal has reported on the dramatic impact that the COVID-19 outbreak had on the travel industry and glimmers of hope. (See “WILL AIRLINES TICKET SALES KEEP SOARING?” and “BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AGREES TO DROP COVID-19 TESTING FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.”)
There were about 1,000 canceled flights in the U.S. on Saturday and Sunday and 9,000 delays. The report, citing The Transportation Security Administration, said nearly 2.5 million people were screened on Friday, which is the most since February 2020. But reports said there have already been more flight cancellations this year than all of 2021.
The Federal Aviation Administration blamed weather conditions and travel demand as the top causes of flight delays. The agency said in a statement obtained by The New York Times that it is working with airlines to “keep aircraft moving safely when weather and other airspace events constrain capacity.
The agency also has added alternate routes and placed more controllers in high demand areas, and increased data sharing.”
TREND FORECAST: The travel industry still faces headwinds despite showing promise with customer demand.
Can these airlines meet the demand?
Employment is about 8 percent lower than the levels prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The U.S. Travel Association estimates that $1.05 trillion will be spent on travel in 2022, “but this is still 10 percent below 2019 levels and 16 percent below where it should have been in 2022 if not for the pandemic.”
Domestic business travel is expected to hit 81 percent of pre-COVID War levels in 2022 and 96 percent in 2023.
As we have forecast previously, the travel industry will recover, but only as a shrunken version of what it was before 2020.
Despite airline travel being down some 13 percent last week compared to 2019, when there was no COVID War being fought, this past weekend in the U.S.S.A. more than 20,000 flights were delayed or canceled.
The reason for the flight mayhem is a shortage of baggage handlers, airport staff, flight crews and pilots.
What caused the job shortage? Why are they not being filled?
It’s all because the COVID War ignited The Great Resignation. Last year, 71 million people quit their jobs and the “Forever Resignations” continue, with 4.4 million Americans quitting their jobs in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But the connection between the airline Armageddon and The COVID War that launched the Great Resignation is not mentioned by the Presstitutes who just keep sailing down the mainstream.
Even small businesses are having a hard time hiring workers. Companies with up to 50 employees saw their head counts decline in three of the past four months, according to ADP.
As reported today in The Wall Street Journal, a survey conducted for them by Vistage Worldwide, found that 63 percent of small-business owners said that hiring challenges are affecting their ability to operate at full capacity.