Pilot crisis forces major airline to cut routes hinting that more carriers could fall short

They’re grounded.Another airline is forced to cut flights due to a lack of qualified pilots: Sun Country recently announced it will reduce fall flights, citing staffing issues.The Minnesota-based budget airline, which was acquired by Allegiant earlier this year, removed roughly 348 departures from its September schedule.In an internal memo sent to Allegiant and Sun Country flight crews on July 3, Allegiant CEO Greg Anderson attributed the reduction “to higher-than-expected front-line crew attrition combined with increased cargo flying.”Anderson assured staff that the reductions are a temporary measure as the company continues to increase pilot hiring in Minneapolis/St.Paul.Seven Minneapolis routes were suspended for the month of September: Cancún; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Asheville and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Baltimore/Washington; and Phoenix-Mesa.Among routes that remained, there were significant scalebacks; flights between Minneapolis/St.

Paul and Los Angeles were reduced by approximately 39%; flights to Orlando and San Francisco were similarly affected.Meanwhile, service to Chicago O’Hare was cut by about 62%So far, the scaleback is limited to September, as schedules from October through April of 2027 are largely unchanged.

In addition, the airline has added service on several established routes.In a separate statement to AirlineGeeks, the company attributed the schedule changes to seasonal demand and a company program that requires experienced pilots to transition into instructor roles.Sun Country trimming travel reflects a larger crisis in aviation, as the industry is losing pilots at a higher rate than it is hiring them.According to reports, the gap between supply and demand is expected to peak this year at a shortfall of 24,000 pilots.Experts maintain that this dearth is driven by a combination of factors, including mandatory retirements, surging demand for air travel, and a training pipeline that was seriou...