United Airlines is asking its pilots to take voluntary unpaid leave next month due to Boeing’s delivery delays, according to a memo sent to pilots.
Due to the expected aircraft shortage, United Airlines said in a statement to the Post that “forecast block hours for 2024 will be shortened and May will offer pilots a voluntary program to reduce overstaffing. ” he said.
Block hours, the industry’s primary measure of aircraft usage, include the time from the moment the aircraft door closes on departure for a particular flight to the moment the aircraft door reopens on arrival.
The voluntary pilot leave program could be extended into the summer and fall. It was not immediately clear what incentives United Airlines is giving its pilots to take a month off from work.
A United spokesperson said: “We have no further details to share at this time.”
The overstaffing issue is the latest sign of how the explosion at 16,000 feet on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane operated by Alaska Airlines earlier this year is impacting United Airlines’ growth plans. Not too much.
The incident subsequently became a full-blown safety and reputational crisis for Boeing, prompting investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as a criminal investigation by the FBI.
After the FAA observed mechanics at Spirit AeroSystems, the manufacturer of the Boeing 737 MAX, using Dawn liquid dish soap and a hotel key card to test the seal on the aircraft’s door. It gave Boeing until May 28 to develop a “comprehensive plan of action to address system-wide quality control issues.” ”
Federal regulators have also already delayed certification of the MAX 10 model, the largest of Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft family, and the aircraft maker is slowing production of its best-selling 737 MAX narrowbody following a Jan. 5 door change. Expansion is prohibited. blow out.
Following news of the delay in February, United Airlines Chief Financial Officer Mike Leskinen said United Airlines was slow to deliver new MAX 10 aircraft, especially as United Airlines cracked growth forecasts for the Chicago-based carrier. He said he was “deeply disappointed” with Boeing over the delay.
The CFO added that the delay cast doubt on the company’s ability to expand its domestic shipping capacity by almost 30% by 2026 under its United Next plan.
United Airlines was expecting upgraded aircraft, including 277 MAX 10 jets.
As the company waits for those planes, it lowered its 2024 forecast for MAX 8 deliveries from Boeing to 37 from 43 and said it expects to deliver 15 fewer MAX 9s this year.
The company also suspended pilot hiring in May and June until aircraft deliveries from Boeing resume, but that timeline remains unclear.
A representative for Boeing declined the Post’s request for comment.
United Airlines is not the only airline suffering from Boeing’s delivery delays. Southwest Airlines, which exclusively operates Boeing 737 aircraft, also plans to reduce its pilot employment by 50% and flight attendant employment by 60% in 2024 compared to its original plan. CNN.
CNN reports that the drastic reductions add to Boeing’s plan to cut deliveries to the Southwest by about 40%, reduce the number of seats it offers from its original plan, and reduce seat capacity by about 1 percentage point. This is the response.
