More than 1,800 American Airlines domestic flights have been cut from Philadelphia International Airport's September and October schedules in recent weeks as labor shortages coincide with rising demand for travel, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The total number of scheduled American Airlines flights to and from PHL in September was 12,766 as of June 20 but was down to 11,645 on Tuesday, according to data from aviation analytics provider Cirium Inc. The 9% cut in September flights at PHL is the carrier's largest at any airport in the country. American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) is the dominant carrier at Philadelphia International, which is the airline's Northeast hub.
The 1,121 September flights trimmed from the schedule — 553 departures and 568 arrivals — equate to some 118,600 fewer potential passengers traveling through PHL next month, reports PBJ.com.
Even with travelers looking to return to the skies, PHL is seeing a reduction in flights year over year as well. As of Tuesday, the airport has more than 3,100 fewer American Airlines flights scheduled, a decline of 21%, and close to 67,000 fewer seats than last September.
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American's recent reductions in scheduled flights extend beyond next month. The airline has also dropped 711 flights from PHL's October schedule in the past week. That includes 359 arrivals and 352 departures, totaling 45,185 seats. The 12,352 flights currently scheduled for October represents a year-over-year decrease of 20%, or close to 3,200 flights.
Check out PBJ.com to see how Kate Sullivan, Philadelphia International Airport's deputy director of strategic partnerships, says PHL is working with American to recover capacity.
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