United Airlines is implementing changes in its flight operations to avoid disruptions caused by weather conditions leading up to the Fourth of July holiday travel, according to CEO Scott Kirby on
Saturday.
Recent flight disruptions have raised concerns about the airline industry's preparedness to handle the surge in summer travel, especially during the first Fourth of July holiday since air traffic in the US is expected to exceed pre-COVID levels.
"While we focus on controlling the factors within our control, we must also improve our planning to mitigate factors beyond our control, enabling us to recover more swiftly," stated Kirby in a note.
Last month, United Airlines had to cancel approximately 19% of its scheduled flights due to thunderstorms and equipment failures at a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facility in Washington, leading to significant delays along the US East Coast.
Flight monitoring service FlightAware reported that around 26,000 flights were delayed across all airlines during a weekend in June as thunderstorms wreaked havoc in parts of the US. Kirby attributed the recent flight cancellations to the FAA.
Kirby also mentioned that United Airlines is collaborating with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to secure additional gates. The company intends to modify or reduce its schedule to create more buffer time and spare gates, especially during storm seasons.
"While airlines can plan for events like hurricanes, sub-zero temperatures, and snowstorms, United has not encountered an extended limited operating environment like the one we witnessed last week at Newark," Kirby added in a note to employees. Photo by InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, Wikimedia commons.