Pilot Shortages Are Leading to Flight Cancellations

USA – The ongoing shortage of pilots and cabin crew is negatively impacting flight operations around the rural mountain west, with the latest hit coming this month as Delta canceled all flights between Yellowstone Regional (COD) in Cody, Wyoming, and Salt Lake City International (SLC) in Utah. According to the airline, the cancelations are directly due to the lack of pilots. The only airline currently providing service to Cody is United Airlines, with flights from Denver.

In Montana, the small regional carrier Cape Air is an FAA-designated and subsidized Essential Air Service (EAS) providing flights between rural areas and larger cities, often for medical treatments and other vital services. In recent months, Cape Air lost five of its pilots to larger carriers and has subsequently had to reduce its number of flights to maintain a minimum of 10 pilots for Eastern Montana. Until this spring, Cape Air had five daily flights between Sidney-Richland Regional (SDY) and Billings Logan International (BIL). Those have been reduced to two daily flights. Cape also provided daily flights between Billings and Havre (HVR), Wolf Point (OLF), Glendive (GDV), and Glasgow (GGW), which have now been combined into one daily flight from Billings to those airports. Earlier this year, Sky West, another EAS provider, announced plans to discontinue flights to 29 communities; however, these were mostly east of the Mississippi and will not affect Montana. The FAA projects the industry will need 13,500 pilots to meet current demand and another 6,000 per year to meet future demand and replace pilots who will be retiring.