JetBlue has announced plans for additional flight cancellations as it faces ongoing staffing shortages.
The New York City-based airline said that following a number of canceled flights over the weekend it will also make “a small schedule adjustment” for the rest of April, citing a “challenging staffing situation.”
“Despite hiring more than 3,000 new crew-members already this year, like many businesses, we remain staffing constrained,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.
Additional cuts are planned from May through the summer, JetBlue said, even as it continues to bring on new employees.
“Given we anticipate continued industry challenges and heavy demand into the summer, we are planning more conservatively and trying to be proactive where we can with cancellations due to disruptive weather and air traffic control events,” the company said.
In an email reported Sunday by CNBC, JetBlue’s COO said the airline had reduced its May capacity by between eight and 10 percent, adding that a similar size capacity reduction was expected for the remainder of the summer.
The outlet also reported last week that JetBlue had begun offering flight attendants $1,000 bonuses if they don’t call out from work through the end of May. Flight attendants are also eligible for $100 bonuses for picking up open trips, while part-time flight attendants would receive $500 for meeting attendance goals, CNBC reported.
