Airlines tapping Thanksgiving pilot reserves early as government shutdown snarls flights
Reserve pilots who typically assist during the busy Thanksgiving travel period are already being called into service due to the persisting delays throughout the U.S. aviation system, which could significantly exacerbate disruptions during the critical time, a pilots union spokesperson said.
These pilots are limited by federal regulations on how many hours they can fly each month, so if they are used more frequently earlier in November, "that means they won’t have headroom to fly later when needed the most during our heaviest flight schedules during the Thanksgiving week," Dennis Tajer, a veteran pilot and spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association (APA), the largest independent pilots union in the United States, told FOX Business.
"We're dealing with the reality of what this shutdown is doing, and it's ripping apart the airline industry at a time when we need to be our strongest," Tajer said.
FOX Business reached out to the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) for comment. The ALPA represents more than 80,000 pilots at 43 airlines in the United States and Canada.
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In aviation, a reserve pilot typically refers to a pilot who is on standby and ready to fly when certain circumstances occur, such as schedule changes, weather or maintenance disruptions or if a pilot gets sick or if there is a crew shortage due to duty-hour limits.
The issue is that the number of delays has surged due to the government shutdown and has led to more pilots reaching their maximum allowable flight duty time. They must rest before flying again, according to federal aviation rules.
"By law, the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] regulation, if you're flying a 12-hour day, and you have delays of an hour or two – depending on when you started – you're done. You cannot legally fly, and that's for safety. We not only applaud that, we live by it," Tajer said.
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Even if they are legally able to continue flying, pilots may also miss their connecting flights because of these delays, further exacerbating the issue.
Airlines then have to move a different pilot to cover a flight, leaving a rolling vacancy for a pilot seat that will eventually be filled by a reserve pilot, according to Tajer.
"What's happening is airlines are having to nibble at the Thanksgiving turkey today. That is a threat to the reliability of the system when we really bring it up to its full measure during the holiday travel season," Tajer said.
To limit the unexpected delays, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets to maintain safety amid the shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, and ongoing air traffic control staffing shortages.
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A source told FOX Business the reductions will start at 4% on Friday and gradually ramp up to 10% next week, where they’ll stay "until the FAA feels comfortable with safety levels." The move could eliminate thousands of flights each day for as long as the shutdown persists.
Tajer said the APA applauds "anything that continues to protect a safety margin" and believes this will help airlines adapt their schedules rather than implementing last-minute delays.
However, he is imploring the government to end the shutdown, saying it is "invading the ability to reliably provide airline service."
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His comments echoed statements published earlier this week by APA President Nick Silva, who said that Congress should work in a bipartisan manner to pass a short-term funding bill that keeps the U.S. government running.
