Scheduling Glitch Allowed American Airline’s Pilots To Drop 12,000 Assignments In July

A scheduling glitch that occurred overnight on Saturday allowed American Airlines pilots to drop assignments throughout July, according to their union.

The airline said it doesn’t believe the glitch will impact its operations. A vast majority of the assignments were reinstated. The Allied Pilots Association said that American and the union are in talks to add additional pay to pilots that dropped flights but had them reinstated. 

“As a result of this technical glitch, certain trip trading transactions were able to be processed when it shouldn’t have been permitted,” American Airlines said in a statement. “We already have restored the vast majority of the affected trips and do not anticipate any operational impact because of this issue.”

About 12,000 flights were left without a captain, first officer, or both following the glitch. About 80 percent of the trips were reinstated by the airline. Typically, pilots can drop and pick up flights, but it can be challenging to switch during peak travel seasons, like summer and holidays. 

This isn’t the first time a scheduling glitch has impacted American. A similar incident occurred during the December holiday period in 2017. The airline offered pilots who picked up flights 150 percent of their pay as an incentive.