<Anchor> The
U.S. airline industry, which has undergone large-scale workforce cuts due to the coronavirus, is unable to meet the growing demand for aviation. Over 1,900 flights were canceled by one airline alone in a matter of days due to a shortage of manpower and bad weather.
This is reporter Jeong Hye-kyung.
<Reporter> The
waiting line at the airport is long and does not shrink.
[Christopher Jordan/Airplane passenger: I gave up completely. When I went to the customer service center, it was already full of people asking for canceled flights all day long.]
[Mohamed Abdullah / Airline Passenger: My flight was 12 hours ago. If you're not sure there's a flight, don't go anywhere.] The
Wall Street Journal reported that over 1,900 new flights were canceled over the weekend on American Airlines alone.
The airline ranks as the largest airline in the United States in terms of annual passenger numbers.
Large-scale cancellations are continuing due to the shortage of staff due to the large-scale reduction in manpower during the COVID-19 pandemic and bad weather accompanied by strong winds.
The airline industry, which suffered a recession during the COVID-19 pandemic, is suffering a double loss because it cannot meet the travel demand that has rebounded after the supply of vaccines.
Spirit Airlines of the United States also canceled 2,800 flights in 10 days in August, and Southwest Airlines canceled 2,000 flights last month, resulting in a loss of about 75 billion won.
American airlines, including American Airlines, have announced large-scale hiring plans within the year.