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United Airlines has asked its pilots to take voluntary unpaid leave after delays to aircraft deliveries from Boeing have left it overstaffed.
The employment cutbacks, according to a memo from the Air Line Pilots Association - the union that represents United Airlines pilots – will take place during May but could extend further in 2024.
The union said the Airline could offer further voluntary unpaid leave “for the summer bid periods and potentially into the fall.”
“Our forecasted block hours for 2024 have been reduced and we are offering our pilots voluntary programs for the month of May to reduce excess staffing,” the airline said in a statement.
The union memo added that "while the delivery issues surround our 787 and 737 fleets, the impact will affect other fleets as well… Program selection and duration is not known at this time."
According to CNBC, who broke the news, United is only set to receive 43 Boeing 737 Max 8 and 19 Max 9 planes, after being contracted to receive 43 and 34 respectively.
The fluctuations and uncertainty around the delivery have led Boeing to reduce the capacity of its service causing unexpected overstaffing.
The conditions of the voluntary unpaid leave would offer pilots some benefits whilst they were out of work.
Pilots may take unpaid leave time off for the entirety of May, on specific dates throughout the month, or work on a blank schedule to pick up and swap trips with other pilots.
Many airlines are also still attempting to address issues with the supply and demand of pilots following a turbulent few years for those employed in the airline industry.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, airlines offered a huge number of furlough packages and voluntary buyouts after flights were grounded.
Since then, many major airlines have struggled to recruit the necessary talent due to a “severe and ongoing pilot shortage”, exacerbated by a wave of retirement amongst senior pilots.
The move to combat overstaffing is the latest drastic decision taken by United Airlines, following major safety issues with Boeing aircraft over the past few months.
United has already announced on March 7 that it planned to pause hiring new pilots after “continued new aircraft certification and manufacturing delays at Boeing.”
Other United competitors, such as Southwest Airlines, have made a similar freeze.
Southwest has also cited issues with fewer Boeing deliveries, and Alaska Airlines has said its capacity estimates are “in flux” due to uncertainty around aircraft deliveries “as a result of increased Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Justice scrutiny on Boeing and its operations.”
The airplane manufacturer is currently in crisis following a mid-air door blowout on its 737 Max 9 model and fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The Federal Aviation Administration says that employees lack significant knowledge of safety protocols, echoed by current and former employees and whistleblowers who claim there is a culture of retaliation against those who identify safety and security concerns.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has recently announced plans to combat the safety crisis by adding an extra day of in-person training for pilots among other improved measures.
