Union blasts the FAA for short staffing and ‘pilot fatigue’: 500 flights are axed across US on Tuesday

• Off-duty Delta Airlines pilots plan to picket at major US airports for better hours and pay on Thursday
• The protest comes as US airlines see a dramatic increase in delays and cancellations
•  The Air Line Pilots Association released a statement explaining the decision to picket, saying pilots are having to work longer hours
• As of Tuesday morning, airlines had cancelled over 500 flights and delayed over 1,000 more

Hundreds of off-duty Delta Airlines pilots are planning to picket this week to demand an increase in pay and better schedules – as another 500 flights are axed today.

The Air Line Pilots Association claimed last night its nearly 14,000 members are working longer hours even as airlines cancel thousands of trips.

Delta Airlines pilots plan to start picketing on Thursday at several major airports including LAX, JFK and Atlanta, which are some of the most affected in terms of cancellations and delays.

The announcement comes amidst a rise in flight cancellations and delays. On Tuesday morning, airlines had already cancelled over 500 flights and delayed another 1,200, according to FlightAware.

The average Delta Pilot yearly pay in the United States is approximately $157,912, which is 119 percent above the national average, according to Indeed.

Passengers line up to check bags before their flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport today

A man says goodbye and hugs his daughter before her flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta today

Passengers line up to check in before their flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. June 28, 2022 as airports see an increase in cancellations and delays

The announcement comes amidst a rise in flight cancellations and delays. On Tuesday morning, airlines had already cancelled over 500 flights and delayed another 1,200, according to FlightAware. Pictured: Atlanta today

FlightAware’s Misery Map shows cancellations and delays by airport on June 28, 2022

Pilots have complained that thinly staffed airlines are asking them to work too many flights, with more pilots reporting fatigue.

The FAA has admitted it is understaffed, especially in an important air control center in Florida, which has meant a decrease in the quality of service and an increase in delays and cancellations.

The pilots plan to picket, not strike, on the days they are not scheduled to work in order to bring attention to the issues.

Federal law creates a long and difficult process before airline workers can legally go on strike.

‘The Delta pilots last signed a new contract in 2016 and are currently flying under work rules and pay rates negotiated over six years ago,’ said Jason Ambrosi, a Delta pilot and union official, in the statement.

‘It’s been two-and-a-half-years since our contract became amendable and three-and-a-half years since the Delta pilots last had a pay raise. Meanwhile, our quality of life has eroded due to management’s unwillingness to schedule the airline properly,’ he continued.

‘In June, the union took an unprecedented step in passing a vote of ‘no confidence’ in the management teams of Flight Operations, Crew Resources, and Flight Training & Standards for the scheduling issues that continue to plague both customers and pilots.’

‘As long-term stakeholders in our airline, seeing our operational reliability suffer is bad business and puts the Delta brand at risk,’ Ambrosi said.

An airport employee directs passengers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta today

Passengers cross the street at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta today

Passengers enter a security checkpoint before their flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport today

Federal law creates a long and difficult process before airline workers can legally go on strike. Pictured: Passengers today