American to continue reducing flights in November
ASSOCIATED PRESS October 11, 2012 1:48PM
FILE- In this Friday, Oct. 5, 2012, file photo, two unidentified American Airlines passengers talk to a customer service representative, center in Miami. Just weeks ago, American Airlines was working its way through bankruptcy court, on schedule for one of the fastest turnarounds in aviation history, but then, domestic traffic fell by 7.1 percent in September from the same month a year earlier. No other major airline experienced a drop like that. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter, File)
Updated: October 11, 2012 4:05PM
American Airlines says it will cut passenger-carrying capacity by 1 percent in the first half of November as it tries to recover from widespread delays and a spike in cancellations.
American said Thursday that the pullback will give it more time to return to normal operations without affecting holiday travel.
Delays and cancellations soared in September, which American blamed on a work slowdown by some pilots. The pilots’ union denied the charge.
Although American has boosted its on-time arrivals from September’s 59-percent mark, flight-tracking service FlightStats.com says American still trailed other large U.S. airlines in delays on Wednesday.
American cut capacity in September and October by up to 2 percent. Airlines reduce capacity by eliminating flights or using smaller planes.
