The revelation comes months after Ryanair made a similar mistake in its pilot roster leading to the grounding of around 20,000 flights
Operations of the aviation giant, American Airlines, are now at risk of being grounded after too many pilots were granted leave by the pilot schedule bidding system.
The revelation comes months after the Ryanair made a similar mistake in its pilot roster leading to the grounding of around 20,000 flights as per a report from The Independent. However, what makes the trouble more complicated in American Airlines' case is the fact that the goof up comes right before the Christmas season when passenger traffic is at its peak.
Also Read: Ryanair cancels about 2,000 flights over six weeks
“On Friday, management disclosed a failure within the pilot schedule bidding system. As a result, thousands of flights currently do not have pilots assigned to fly them during the upcoming critical holiday period…today management issued an update detailing the ‘significant holes’ in the operation and unilaterally invoked a solution for crewing affected flights,” said a statement by the Allied Pilots Association(APA) that was quoted in the report.
While many passengers tweeted on social media about whether they could shift to another flight or get a refund, the management on its part, assured that they are working diligently to ensure that no flight is cancelled. "We have more reserve pilots on hand in December than normal months and they provide us with the ability to fly many of the trips that are currently uncovered...we have not canceled any scheduled flights in December and will continue to work to ensure both our pilots and our customers are cared for," the company was quoted saying in a report by The Verge.
The company is reportedly working to salvage the situation by offering pay that is 50 percent higher than the usual salary for pilots.
However, the optimism of the management is not shared by the pilots who are confused and unwilling to shun their vacation plans.“I pulled data today. Currently, there are thousands of unassigned flights, so I’m not sure what they’re looking at. All our pilots can pull the same data,” a pilot belonging to the APA was quoted saying in the Yahoo Finance report who also added that the management has made no attempt to meet or discuss the issue with the pilot association.
