Taken By Storm: US Airlines in an Xmas Fiasco Owing to Mass Lay-Off of Flights

In a cataclysmic lay-off – one that’s perhaps the most humongous in recent times, a US-based airlines has been trying to rebook and seek flight schedules that otherwise match the demands of lakhs of holiday passengers.

The move comes in as a consequence of the winter storms throughout US. Collectively, it has laid off 10000 flights since December 21.

In view of the Xmas and New Year Holidays- the full effect of which is seen in the vibrancy of the American festive travel, the lay-off is a strong deterrent to both the economy and  tourism of national & international tourism.

Following the lay-off, the airlines couldn’t provide passengers with alternatives as the flights were strung to a stipulated schedule and booked to full capacity.

The vagaries of the uncertain weather spurred the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue timely updates to the passengers of the aforesaid schedules – which had peaked 47, 554 flights on December 21.

In a glaring nosedive afterwards, the figure suddenly dropped to 30,875 flights on December 24 and further to 27,997 on Christmas Day.

The numbers however showed no particular sign of optimism for the passenger’s travel woes. The airlines were unable to find the due alternatives for travellers.

While the American diaspora isn’t alien to stormy affairs – figuratively speaking , this is the perhaps one of the few incidences in which an entire festive season has been wrecked haywire as a result of one.

The FAA informed travellers that ensuing the storm, blowing snow and wind could continue to cause interruptions in major metropolitan pockets.

San Francisco, New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C, are among such areas which likely are to be afflicted.

In lieu of a tangible outcome process for its resolution, it’s understandable that the transport & travel sphere calibrates its movements in a tactical way.

The mass lay-off ultimately is a positive manifestation of the aviation sector’s concern for mass safety.

Technological advancements – in flight operating apparatus, movement science, etc. might help in better adaptation to such events in the future.

Furthermore, they’re likely to be a molehill obstacle – of course, in a relative sense – with the incessant development of technology in the coming decade or so.

The afflicted airlines – in a conclusive note – were Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. While the former cancelled over 500 flights on December 23, the latter cancelled over 1300 flights and delayed above 2000 others.

Even last year, the festive season had noticed a significant upheaval, however not owing to weather conditions or runway blocks.

Cumulatively, US Airlines as well as two others had cancelled 600 flights on Christmas Eve and 950 flights on Christmas Day.

The move was a cautionary measure to tackle the pervasive spread of COVID-19.

A conspicuous spike in cases had spurred the airlines towards the aforesaid.