🚫😡 Eh, Airlines and F.A.A. Trying fo’ Stop Da Summer Travel Meltdowns!” 🛫

Da number of Americans hopping on planes dis summer could go even higha than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Dis goin’ be good news fo’ da airlines, but if dey no can handle all da demand an’ gotta delay or cancel plenny flights, oh man, da backlash goin’ be real. 😱🌡️👥

Dis recovery from da pandemic stay marked by one big mess aftah anotha, stranding millionz of travelers an’ making da lawmakers an’ regulators all mad. Lately, da Transportation Department been suggesting more transparency wit’ da airline fees an’ bettah compensation fo’ people whose flights stay delayed or canceled. 🗺️🏢🤷

If da airlines make one big mistake, da pressure goin’ mount on da lawmakers an’ regulators fo’ get toughah on da airlines an’ da Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.), wea dey control da air traffic an’ had some big time failures lately too. 😡🛫🛠️💼

“I don’t think dey can afford fo’ have one summer like last year,” said William J. McGee, one senior fellow at da American Economic Liberties Project, one group dat stay criticizing how da airlines consolidated. “Dem last-minute flight cancellations last year, many because no got enough crew, das not right. Dey no can do dat again, I no think, without some serious consequences.” 😤🛫🚫🔄

Da airline executives an’ F.A.A. officials stay saying dey wen’ make changes aftah all da meltdowns an’ disruptions, so dis summer da air travel should be less crazy an’ more enjoyable than da past years. 🌞🛫😊

Why da airlines stay having so much trouble? 🤔

Almost every big airline an’ da air traffic control system stay get into trouble at some point during dis pandemic recovery. In da beginning, when da COVID-19 vaccines still stay in development an’ travel restrictions stay stopping people from flying, da airlines wen’ encourage their employees fo’ take buyouts or retire early, even though da government wen’ give dem billions of dollars fo’ pay employee salaries. But wen’ travel bounce back, da airlines, like every odda business, stay struggle fo’ hire an’ train employees, including pilots, flight attendants, an’ baggage handlers. 👥🦺✈️🚫

Even when da companies start fo’ get mo’ employees, da airlines stay still get one weak spot fo’ disruptions. Ova da holidays going into 2022, da coronavirus wen’ come back strong an’ make plenny crew members sick. Plus, da bad weatha wen’ cause even mo’ problems, an’ dat led to thousands of flights getting canceled all ova da country. An’ dat’s not all, da aviation system stay using technology an’ ways fo’ do business dat been developed long time ago, an’ now dey stay showin’ dey outdated. Around Christmas last year, Southwest Airlines stay struggling fo’ deal wit’ da bad storms ’cause dey no had ’nuff equipment an’ da scheduling software an’ practices wen’ fail. Dey wen’ leave plenny travelers stranded. Den, weeks aftah dat, da F.A.A. wen’ stop all da flights from taking off everywhere in da U.S. ’cause one contractor wen’ delete one file in one old pilot alerting system. 🛫⛈️💻🚫

Da industry stay making changes fo’ minimize disruptions, like hiring more staff, reducing da number of flights, an’ making da networks more resilient. An’ it looks like dis helping: Up to early May, da main cause fo’ flight delays stay da weatha, an’ da number of cancellations stay less compared to 2019. 🔄🛫☔✅

How da summer goin’ be like? 🌞🛫

Dis year, air travel stay already go back to da pre-pandemic levels. According to da Transportation Security Administration (T.S.A.) data, mo’ than 2.1 million people stay passing through airport checkpoints every day, just like in 2019. An’ dis May, airport traffic already breaking pandemic records on some days, according to da T.S.A. 😎🏢🛫

But soon, da number of travelers could go even higha den 2019. Dis Memorial Day weekend, wea da summer travel season starts, goin’ be one da busiest in mo’ than 20 years. AAA travel club say 5.4 percent mo’ people planning fo’ fly dis weekend compared to da same time befo’ da pandemic. An’ plenny major airports goin’ see double-digit growth in traffic dis summer compared to last summer. Some of dem airports serve big cities like New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, an’ Denver. Plus, United Airlines get six hub airports, Delta Air Lines get five, an’ American Airlines get four, an’ all goin’ see more traffic. 🌴🏢🛫📈

What da F.A.A. doing? 🛫

Fo’ keep da flights goin’ smooth dis summer, da F.A.A. stay easing up on some rules at busy airports. 🏢🚦

Normally, da airlines gotta use da takeoff an’ landing slots dey get assigned or else dey lose ’em. But da F.A.A. goin’ relax dat requirement from mid-May to mid-September fo’ give da airlines more flexibility. Da goal stay fo’ let da airlines fly fewer, but bigga planes without worrying ’bout losing their spots. Dis new policy goin’ apply to da three main airports serving New York City an’ also Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. 🛫🚦🗽

Da F.A.A. say dey making dis change partly ’cause one air traffic control center fo’ da New York airports get one shortage of air traffic controllers, wit’ only ’bout half da numbah dey supposed to have. Da F.A.A. say if dey no make dis change, flight delays dis summer could go up to 45 percent mo’ compared to last summer. An’ dat goin’ cause problems all ova da country ’cause plenny flights connect in New York. 🏙️🛫🚦📈

Da F.A.A. also say dey makin’ changes fo’ accommodate da increase in space launches, especially in Florida, but also in California an’ Texas. Dey wen’ open up 169 new routes, mostly at high altitudes an’ along da East Coast, fo’ ease da congestion. 🚀🛫📈

What da airlines doing? 🛫

Some airlines say dey ready fo’ da summer by planning fo’ use bigga planes, hiring mo’ staff, an’ keepin’ an eye out fo’ any early signs of disruptions. 🛠️✈️👥

At da request of da F.A.A., several big airlines stay agree fo’ fly less flights, but wit’ bigga planes, at busy airports. Fo’ example, United say dey planning fo’ have 30 fewer daily departures from Newark compared to da summer of 2019. But even though dey flying less, dey using bigga planes, so dey goin’ offer 5 percent mo’ seats in da New York area. 🔄✈️🏙️📉

United, fo’ example, cut down da round-trip flights between Newark an’ St. Louis dis July from four a day last year to three a day. But ’cause dey swapped out one regional jet fo’ one bigga Airbus A319, United goin’ offer 18 percent mo’ seats on dat route compared to last year. 👥✈️🆙

“We really, really, really want fo’ have one busy schedule,” said Patrick Quayle, one senior vice president fo’ global network planning an’ alliances at United. “But da most important thing fo’ us stay fo’ run da operation reliably.” 😊🛫✅

Otha airlines also planning fo’ use bigga planes on certain routes, which dey call “upgauging.” Dis been goin’ on mo’ an’ mo’ in recent years. Airlines dis summer goin’ schedule ’bout 5 percent mo’ flights within da U.S. compared to last summer, an’ dey goin’ have ’bout 10 percent mo’ seats available, according to Cirium, one aviation data provider. Compared to da summer of 2019, dis summer dey goin’ have 10 percent fewah flights but 3 percent mo’ seats. 🔄✈️🔄

Da industry also been workin’ hard fo’ recruit an’ train new employees. As of March, passenger airlines hired ’bout 487,000 full-time employees, da most since October 2001, according to Airlines for America. Da CEO of Delta, Ed Bastian, said dey finished hiring da employees dey needed. He said, “Da hiring rates now stay just normal rates fo’ normal attrition, not da big bulge we had fo’ restore da business. So now, we no need go out an’ hire plenny people. We can use da ones dat wen’ do da training an’ put dem back in da business.” 💼👥🛫🔧

Da airlines also tryin’ fo’ be smarter an’ catch disruptions early on befo’ dey cause big delays an’ cancellations. After da disaster during da winter holidays, Southwest say dey goin’ use real-time data mo’ effectively fo’ keep track of da health of their network. American Airlines say dey put in place one system called Heat, wea dey can delay or cancel flights quickly if problems come up, but try fo’ minimize da numbah of affected customers. ✈️🌡️💻✅

Dis summer, da airlines an’ da F.A.A. goin’ do deir best fo’ make travel less crazy an’ mo’ enjoyable fo’ everyone. But, we all know, wen’ come to travel, unexpected surprises can always pop up. So, da best advice stay fo’ pack some extra patience an’ aloha spirit, just in case! 🌴🤙🧳

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🚫😡 Eh, Airlines and F.A.A. Trying to Prevent Summer Travel Meltdowns!” 🛫

The number of Americans planning to fly this summer could surpass the levels seen before the pandemic in 2019. This would be great news for the airlines, but if they fail to meet the demand and end up causing delays or cancellations for many flights, oh boy, there will be a major backlash. 😱🌡️👥

The recovery from the pandemic has been marred by one travel disaster after another, leaving millions of travelers stranded and frustrating lawmakers and regulators. The Department of Transportation has recently proposed greater transparency regarding airline fees and better compensation for passengers facing delays or cancellations. 🗺️🏢🤷

If the airlines make another major blunder, it will increase pressure on lawmakers and regulators to take a tougher stance against the airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.), which oversees air traffic and has also faced significant failures in recent times. 😡🛫🛠️💼

“I don’t think they can afford to have a summer like last year,” said William J. McGee, a senior fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, a group that has been critical of consolidation in the airline industry. “Last year’s pattern of last-minute flight cancellations, often due to crew shortages, is simply unacceptable. I don’t think they can get away with that again without serious consequences.” 😤🛫🚫🔄

Both airline executives and F.A.A. officials assure that they have implemented changes after previous meltdowns and disruptions to make air travel less chaotic and more enjoyable this summer compared to previous years. 🌞🛫😊

Why have the airlines been struggling so much? 🤔

Almost every major airline and the air traffic control system have faced meltdowns at some point during the pandemic recovery. In the early stages, when COVID-19 vaccinations were still being developed and travel restrictions were in place, airlines encouraged employees to take buyouts or retire early, despite receiving billions of dollars from the government to cover employee salaries. However, when air travel rebounded quickly, airlines, like many other businesses, faced challenges in hiring and training employees, including pilots, flight attendants, and baggage handlers. 👥🦺✈️🚫

Even when the airlines managed to hire more employees, they remained vulnerable to disruptions. During the holiday season leading into 2022, a resurgence of the coronavirus resulted in a significant number of crew members falling ill. Additionally, adverse weather conditions compounded the problems, leading to thousands of flight cancellations across the country. Furthermore, the aviation system relies on outdated technology and outdated business practices. For instance, Southwest Airlines faced difficulties during the Christmas season due to severe storms and inadequate equipment and scheduling practices, leaving numerous travelers stranded. Weeks later, the F.A.A. temporarily grounded all flights nationwide after a contractor accidentally deleted a file in an antiquated pilot alerting system. 🛫⛈️💻🚫

The industry has implemented changes to minimize disruptions, including hiring more staff, reducing the number of flights, and enhancing network resilience. These changes have yielded positive results so far: Up until early May, weather-related issues have been the leading cause of flight delays, and cancellations have been fewer compared to 2019. 🔄🛫☔✅

What can we expect this summer? 🌞🛫

Air travel has already returned to pre-pandemic levels this year. According to data from the Transportation Security Administration (T.S.A.), more than 2.1 million people are passing through airport checkpoints daily, matching the numbers from 2019. Additionally, airport traffic has already broken pandemic records on several days in May, according to the T.S.A. 😎🏢🛫

However, the number of travelers could soon surpass even the levels seen in 2019. This Memorial Day weekend, which marks the beginning of the summer travel season, is expected to be the third busiest in over two decades, with 5.4 percent more people planning to fly compared to the same weekend before the pandemic, according to the AAA travel club. Furthermore, dozens of major airports are projected to experience double-digit growth in traffic compared to last summer. This includes airports serving major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, and Denver. United Airlines has six hub airports, Delta Air Lines has five, and American Airlines has four, and all of them are expected to see increased traffic. 🌴🏢🛫📈

What is the F.A.A. doing? 🛫

To ensure smooth operations this summer, the F.A.A. is relaxing certain rules at busy airports. 🏢🚦

Typically, airlines are required to utilize their assigned takeoff and landing slots; otherwise, they risk losing them. However, the F.A.A. is temporarily easing this requirement from mid-May to mid-September to provide airlines with more flexibility. The goal is to enable airlines to operate fewer flights with larger aircraft without the fear of losing their slots. This new policy applies to the three main airports serving New York City and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. 🛫🚦🗽

The F.A.A. has made this change partly due to a staffing shortage at an air traffic control center serving the New York airports, which currently has only about half of the required number of air traffic controllers. Without this change, the F.A.A. estimates that flight delays this summer could increase by up to 45 percent compared to last summer. This would have nationwide repercussions since many flights connect in New York. 🏙️🛫🚦📈

The F.A.A. has also taken steps to accommodate the increasing number of space launches, particularly in Florida, but also in California and Texas. They have opened up 169 new routes, primarily at higher altitudes and along the East Coast, to alleviate congestion. 🚀🛫📈

What are the airlines doing? 🛫

Some airlines have prepared for the summer by planning to utilize larger aircraft, increasing their staff, and closely monitoring early signs of disruptions. 🛠️✈️👥

At the request of the F.A.A., several major airlines have agreed to reduce the number of flights but utilize larger planes at busy airports. For example, United Airlines plans to have 30 fewer daily departures from Newark compared to the summer of 2019. However, despite flying fewer flights, they will offer 5 percent more seats in the New York area by using larger planes. 🔄✈️🏙️📉

United Airlines, for instance, has reduced the number of round-trip flights between Newark and St. Louis to three per day in July, down from four per day last year. However, by replacing one of the regional jets typically used with a larger Airbus A319, they will offer 18 percent more seats on that route compared to last year. 👥✈️🆙

“We truly want to maintain a busy schedule,” said Patrick Quayle, a senior vice president for global network planning and alliances at United Airlines. “But our top priority is to operate reliably.” 😊🛫✅

Other airlines are also planning to use larger aircraft on specific routes, a practice known as “upgauging,” which has become more prevalent in recent years. This summer, airlines have scheduled around 5 percent more flights within the United States compared to last summer, with approximately 10 percent more seats available, according to aviation data provider Cirium. Compared to the summer of 2019, airlines will operate 10 percent fewer flights but offer 3 percent more seats. 🔄✈️🔄

The industry has also made significant efforts to recruit and train new employees. As of March, passenger airlines employed nearly 487,000 full-time workers, the highest number since October 2001, according to Airlines for America. Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, recently stated that the airline has completed its hiring spree.