In what they are claiming is a temporary move, United Airlines has canceled 35 daily roundtrip fluttering from Newark Liberty International Airport this weekend. No matter the current preoccupations, the airline is going to be otherwise consumed with a major recent equipment failure. This implementation has resulted in significant breakdowns at the airport and alarmed both passengers and industry professionals.
Kyle Bailey, a former FAA Safety Team representative, decried United’s plan as a “money-making scheme.” He thinks the airline has lost focus on customer service because they are too focused on their profits. He added that the airline’s recent choices show decreased loyalty to your frequent flyer status and more to do with making a profit.
United Airlines is under fire after their horrific incident went so very right. An equipment failure caused a blackout of the control center, with total darkness lasting more than 90 seconds. A single fried copper wire was responsible for this catastrophic failure. In addition, these air traffic controllers were forced to land planes without access to radar and even communication capabilities. Following this incident, no fewer than five controllers went out on a 45-day trauma leave. This underscores the tremendous fear and stress that is imposed on workers during major operational breakdowns.
Just in November 2023, United Airlines cut a staggering 700 flights from Newark. This drastic reduction is in sharp contrast to most other airlines that have added flights on the same airport over the past few years. The current round of cuts will mainly affect flights to smaller destinations—so-called “puddle jumpers.”
Travelers en route to the least popular cities will probably end up taking the biggest hit from these cancellations. Bailey noted that the passengers most affected could be those who are meeting family members coming back from college. Business travelers who currently commute via Amtrak for business may be impacted.
“It would probably be the father picking up his daughter in college or visiting his daughter in college. It could also be a business traveler commuting to the job like a consultant,” – Kyle Bailey
Passengers carrying expensive international fares will most certainly continue to be spared from the brunt of these reductions. Bailey added that United Airlines was interested in defending its revenue stream as a dominant provider of high-ticket international flights.
“What they don’t want to do is affect the real high-ticket flights,” – Kyle Bailey
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, stressed their commitment to reducing the effect of such changes on customers. He stated,
“United is committed to doing absolutely everything in our power to minimize the impact that this will have on customers and so we are unilaterally canceling 35 roundtrip flights per day from our Newark schedule starting this weekend,” – Scott Kirby
Even as United Airlines aims for the stars, they’re not completely ignoring operational challenges. Their approach has focused on identifying and eliminating money-losing routes. Bailey added that they are going after what he calls “fair-weather flyers” flying to non-exotic destinations.
“They are looking for what I would call the ‘fair-weather flyers’ who are not going anywhere exotic — the basic travelers,” – Kyle Bailey
The combination of recent incidents and significant flight cuts has led to a logjam of flight traffic at Newark Airport, leaving many travelers frustrated with the ongoing chaos. This latest move reaffirms the airline’s recent course of focusing on operational precision and cost-saving over the cavalcade, especially after the challenges posed by the recent pandemic.
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