Delta Air Lines said pilots and flight attendants called out sick in June at a rate 50% higher than June 2019 levels, with the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic straining its operations and contributing to flight cancellations.
The disclosure came as the Atlanta-based airline sought Federal Aviation Administration approval to cut its flight schedule in New York and Washington, D.C. because of the "unforeseen spike" in pilot and flight attendant sick days. Delta told the FAA that its "workforce and flight operations are under extraordinary strain, leaving little margin for operational challenges caused by construction, ATC delays, and weather."
LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International in New York and Reagan National in Washington, D.C. are unusual in that they are "slot-controlled" airports, requiring airlines to operate a minimum number of flights or risk losing their flying rights.
