American Airlines tells pilots to conserve fuel amid shortages

American Airlines, the largest airline in the United States, on Monday asked its pilots to conserve fuel when possible and announced the possibility of having to add stops on certain flights due to delays in fuel deliveries at some airports.

According to an internal company statement, obtained by the specialized media CNBC, American Airlines indicated that many airlines suffered from delays in fuel delivery due to the lack of trucks, drivers and the supply of the same product.

“Delays in fuel delivery for American Airlines aircraft initially particularly affected cities in the western United States, but are now occurring across the country,” American Airlines’ Director of Flight Operations said in the text. American Airlines, John Dudley, where he indicated that the shortage is expected to continue until mid-August.

In an effort to solve the logistical problem, the airline said some planes will carry excess fuel to take to affected airports, a process called over-refueling, while other flights will have to add stops on their way to collect fuel.

“As our country continues to face multiple challenges, let us work together as a team to work as reliably, safely and effectively as possible,” Dudley said.

But the company indicated that the adjustments in its services due to the lack of fuel so far were “minor”, and stressed that no flights were canceled for this reason.

For its part, a spokesperson for Delta Airlines indicated that it had experienced some delays in fuel delivery in western cities of the United States but did not experience any operational problems as a result, while Southwest Airlines stated that it was not affected, although he indicated that he would resort to Excessive refueling if deemed necessary.

For safety reasons, aircraft pilots have the authority to limit the amount of fuel they carry on board, so a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents about 15,000 American Airlines pilots, said they wanted to be sure of a “margin of safety.” protected. “

The fuel shortage in the United States is occurring with the increase in the number of domestic flights due to the increase in leisure travel, which according to the country’s airlines is at the same or higher levels than in 2019.

In addition, restrictions or complications imposed with the international travel pandemic have caused many Americans to travel within the country, with smaller airports near certain tourist attractions receiving more passengers than usual.