It has been an ongoing issue for Delta Air Lines and its passengers, with frustration building over last-minute cancellations. Just a couple of months ago, the issue was linked to pilots.
Now, Delta is once again cancelling the most flights worldwide, and the same problem is now being blamed on other staffing shortages. At least that is what passengers are saying. In all likelihood, weather disruptions are timing out crews, leading to staffing breakdowns. In recent days, several Delta passengers have reported issues at several hubs nationwide, including in Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles.
Delta Air Lines Passengers Are Linking Recent Disruption Issues To Staffing Shortages
In early May, Ryan Gumm, Delta’s Senior Vice President of Flight Operations, addressed some of its last-minute cancellation issues. In the memo obtained by Business Insider, Gumm alluded to the fact that pilots weren’t taking on extra flights, particularly at the rate they used to.
Acceptance rates from pilots went from 37% last year, all the way down to 2% this year. The memo revealed the staffing gaps are due to Delta’s recurring use of the 23.M.7 staffing system to fill in holes. The system is not intended to be used frequently.
The memo states, “23.M.7, never intended for consistent daily operations, is now being used 10 to 15 times more than last year.”
As a solution, Delta sought to hire more pilots. The carrier aimed to recover by late this year. However, it is still clear that issues have persisted beyond pilot shortages. In recent days, Delta’s cancellations have once again increased, and passengers are observing some of the struggles, which include more staffing shortages.
One traveler noticed the struggles at Boston Logan International Airport.
The traveler stated that few employees were working, and low morale could be felt among the customers and workers.
The Delta customer revealed, “After today I’m honestly starting to wonder if something bigger is going on behind the scenes managerially. This was one of the worst Delta experiences I’ve had and I travel with Delta frequently. It seemed like very few people were actually working, and the management that was there seemed frustrated.”
The passenger added, “Started at BOS. Walked up to the Delta One check-in line and the agent just tells us it’s closed, go to Sky Priority. There are three people working that whole line. Then PreCheck AND Clear were both closed — in Delta’s own terminal — so we’re stuck in regular security.”
For the Delta customer, the struggles continued at Los Angeles International Airport. Once again, staffing shortages delayed the deboarding.
“Then we land and the whole plane stands at the carousel for two hours. At some point someone gets on the loudspeaker and announces there’s “two people working five flights” and that if we don’t want to wait we can just go home and get our bags tomorrow. Except my wife’s meds are in the checked bag so we literally can’t leave.”
Although Delta Air Lines provided compensation for the disruptions, there is additional speculation that staffing shortages are occurring, not just among pilots. These issues occurred not only at Boston Logan International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport but were also reported at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Even Delta Air Lines’ Pilots Were Caught Stepping Up During Shortages
At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, more staffing shortages were reported. This past Friday, a Delta flight was stuck on the tarmac.
In response to the delays, Captain Paul stepped up and assisted an employee with loading baggage.
A witness wrote, “Stuck in ATL right now with a flight that has been delayed more than two hours. They only found one poor guy to load our bags, so the pilot went out to help. I’ve never seen anything like that! Kudos to the one ramp agent and pilot, but who’s going to help us get off the gate?”
The feel-good story generated hundreds of positive comments. However, it is yet another example of Delta’s struggles in recent days. Along with the examples posted by travelers, the proof of cancellation struggles has been on full display in the actual numbers.
Delta Air Lines’ Cancellation Issues Have Been On Full Display In Recent Days
On July 19, Delta Air Lines had the most cancelled flights among all airlines worldwide. Its cancellation numbers hit 400. JetBlue was the closest with 293, according to updated data from FlightAware. Delta’s delays were also an issue; it ranked second worldwide with 1,486. The disruptions have steadily increased since Friday.
Delta Air Lines Disruption Numbers Over The Last 4 Days
|
Date |
Delays |
Cancellations |
|---|---|---|
|
July 17 |
1,297 |
28 |
|
July 18 |
1,005 |
341 |
|
July 19 |
1,479 |
400 (*most worldwide) |
|
July 20 (as of the early afternoon) |
250 |
127 (*most worldwide) |
On July 20, Delta’s cancellation issues continued. The airline once again had the most cancellations worldwide, with 127. A major portion of the cancelled flights originated from its major hub, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
Delta will aim to minimize disruptions in the coming days. However, recent weather-related disruptions have strained Delta, particularly behind the scenes, with passengers reporting staffing shortages.
