American Airlines said Monday that it's trimming its September and October flight schedules partly because more pilots are calling in sick.
"We are reducing the rest of our September and October schedule by approximately 1 to 2 percent due to a number of factors, including an increase in pilot sick levels and an increase in maintenance reports filed by our flight crews," American spokesman Bruce Hicks said.In the past two days, American Airlines has canceled about 5 percent of its flights, with weather not really a factor. About 30 of the 100 departures canceled each day were at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, according to the FlightStats website.The increased sick time follows court approval for the airline to void the pilots union contract. But the Allied Pilots Association said that it is not coordinating a sickout. "No one at APA has either sanctioned or supported any kind of 'job action' or sickout. It is illegal to do so," APA spokesman Tom Hoban said. "That being said, you've got 8,000 pilots that are witnessing a handful of senior executives at AA that have chosen in a very deliberate manner to dismantle and destroy their profession. To say that the pilots at AA are not happy would be the understatement of a lifetime."Separately, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants said that more than 1,600 flight attendants have signed up for a voluntary early-out program, which provides members with more than 15 years of seniority a one-time payment of $40,000 to leave the carrier. The deadline for taking the incentive is Thursday.Andrea Ahles, 817-390-7631Twitter: @Sky_TalkHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
