It's understood when bad weather strikes, there will be backups at airports. But why do planes divert at the last minute? And how come planes can sit on tarmac for hours when there are empty gates?
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Three unions say a lot of the problems at DFW International Airport, where American Airlines is king, can be attributed to staffing issues.
“Pre-pandemic we used to be gate-manned at DFW, so pretty much every gate you would come to would have a crew there ready to work for any work that came to the workers,” said Brian Parker, spokesman for Transport Workers Union local 513. He says during the pandemic, when flights were drastically scaled back, American switched over to a “dynamic staffing” model that uses fewer workers that float between gates. The issue, Parker says, is flights have returned, but the workers have not.
“I believe it’s a financial decision, a money decision because they know there are huge operational failures. If they would have brought some of the flights back or gradually brought some flights back and increased staff accordingly, we would have been in a much better position. But they went to pre-pandemic levels and flights and very below pre-pandemic levels of staffing.”
The frustration compounds when passengers on a jet that has been sitting on the tarmac for hours are staring at empty gates, wondering why the plane can’t use them.
“That’s exactly what we’re looking at. I see the gate. I see the escape, I want that gate.” says Pilot Dennis Tajer, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association. He says he tries to be honest and explain the situation, partly because the passengers are looking out the window, but also because they deserve to know what is happening. He has also used his authority as a pilot to declare medical emergencies when passengers have issues that need immediate attention.
The Federal Aviation has taken steps to protect passengers from interminably long tarmac waits by imposing hefty fines against the airlines if the plane is on the tarmac more than 3 hours. Records show American has been fined millions for violations.
Often flights are diverted, a decision that is made in the air but rooted in preflight planning. Pilots and their dispatchers discuss alternate airports that can be used for diversion before the flight starts. The decision evolves while the plane is in the air, depending on situations that develop on the ground. The decision can be made to divert based on deteriorating weather, issues on the ground or planes that are on the ground waiting for gates. Fuel also factors into the equation. Last weekend, American had to divert nearly 100 flights
But it’s the corporate-created issues that can frustrate passengers and pilots alike.
“Weather happens, but welcome to the major leagues. You have to plan for those rain delays you have to plan for roster changes. That’s what folks are paying us their hard earned money to do.” Tajer said.
American Airlines declined to answer questions for this story, instead resending a news release from this last week that said “We worked throughout the day and night on Monday and Tuesday to reposition our aircraft and crews – many of who had timed out as a result of long delays and unexpected diversions. Our operation has since recovered.”
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