Market Intelligence: -General Aviation

US Delta Air Lines Pilots Write Open Letter to Customers Amidst Service Dismay

“We have been working on our days off, flying a record amount of overtime to help you get to your destination,” the letter written by Delta Pilots states. “At the current rate, by this fall, our pilots will have flown more overtime in 2022 than in the entirety of 2018 and 2019 combined, our busiest years to date.”

Delta Pilot wrote the letter in response to overwhelming flight cancellations and tremendous dismay of thousands of customers.

Accordingly, the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) is seeking to negotiate a new contract with Delta Airlines to which they plan to picket the airline’s upcoming shareholder meeting.

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British Airline to Offer Staff a GBP 1,000 Bonus as Gratuity Pay

Jet2 Chief Executive Steve Heapy announced it will offer staff a £1,000 Bonus and immediate 4 per cent pay rise which will all be paid after summer.

Heapy expressed his gratitude to employees amidst all the negative media attention airline industry is receiving.

“Given the inflationary environment we are currently experiencing, we want to reward your dedication and hard work,” Heapy told employees through a memo.

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‘Consumer Complaints Against Airlines Rise More Than 300 Percent Above Pre-Pandemic Levels’ – US DOT

The U.S. Department of Transportation released its Air Travel Consumer Report (ATCR) on airline operational data compiled for the month of April 2022 for on-time performance, consumer complaints received, mishandled baggage, and mishandled wheelchairs and scooters. The ATCR is designed to assist consumers with information on the quality of services provided by airlines. DOT remains committed to ensuring airline passengers are protected fairly and is concerned about recent cancellations and flight disruptions. It uses the data from the ATCR, consumer complaints, and other information it secures from the airlines to inform its enforcement activities and the adequacy of existing rules.

Flight Operations

In April, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to result in significant changes to airline schedules and operations. The 566,893 flights operated in April 2022 were 86.9% of the 652,533 flights operated in pre-pandemic April 2019. Operated flights in April 2022 were up 20.3% year-over-year from the 471,375 flights operated in April 2021 and down 2.6% month-over-month from the 581,434 flights operated in March 2022.

In April 2022, the 10 marketing network carriers reported 580,290 scheduled domestic flights, 13,397 (2.3%) of which were canceled. In April 2021, the same airlines reported 473,936 scheduled domestic flights, 2,561 (0.5%) of which were canceled. In March 2022, airlines scheduled 590,542 domestic flights, of which 9,108 (1.5%) were canceled. In April 2019, airlines scheduled 668,259 domestic flights, of which 15,726 (2.4%) were canceled.

April 2022 On-Time Arrival

In April 2022, reporting marketing carriers posted an on-time arrival rate of 76.0%, down from 77.2% in March 2022 and 79.8% in pre-pandemic April 2019. The year-to-date on-time arrival rate for 2022 is 76.3%.

Highest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates April 2022

  1. Delta Air Lines Network – 81.9%
  2. United Airlines Network – 80.9%
  3. Hawaiian Airlines – 80.8%

Lowest Marketing Carrier On-Time Arrival Rates April 2022

  1. JetBlue Airways – 53.3%
  2. Frontier Airlines – 58.4%
  3. Spirit Airlines – 58.5%

April 2022 Flight Cancellations

In April 2022, reporting marketing carriers canceled 2.3% of their scheduled domestic flights, higher than the rate of 1.5% in March 2022, and lower than the rate of 2.4% in pre-pandemic April 2019.

Lowest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights April 2022

  1. Delta Air Lines Network – 1.1%
  2. Hawaiian Airlines – 1.4%
  3. American Airlines Network – 1.6%

Highest Marketing Carrier Rates of Canceled Flights April 2022

  1. Spirit Airlines – 10.3%
  2. JetBlue Airways – 9.0%
  3. Alaska Airlines Network – 3.8%

Complaints About Airline Service

In April 2022, DOT received 5,079 complaints about airline service from consumers, up 14.8% from the 4,423 complaints received in March 2022 and up 321.5% from the 1,205 complaints received in pre-pandemic April 2019.

Of the 5,079 complaints received in April 2022, 3,173 (62.5%) were against U.S. carriers, 1,409 (27.7%) were against foreign air carriers, and 497 (9.8%) were against travel companies.

Also, of the 5,079 complaints received in April 2022, 1,641 (32.3%) concerned refunds. The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection continues to communicate with airlines and travel companies that receive refund complaints to ensure compliance with the refund requirements. Many passengers who had initially been denied refunds have received the required refunds. The Department has taken and will take enforcement action against noncompliant airlines and ticket agents as necessary.

Flight problems was the second highest category of the complaints received in April 2022. Of the 5,079 complaints received, 1,549 (30.5%) concerned cancellations, delays, or other deviations from airlines’ schedules. The Department’s Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OACP) routinely contacts airlines with widespread cancellations or delays to remind them of their obligation to promptly refund passengers who choose not to accept the alternative offered for a canceled or significantly changed flight. Airlines are also required to have and adhere to a customer service plan that identifies the services that the airline provides to mitigate passenger inconveniences resulting from flight cancellations and misconnections. The Department monitors airlines’ actions and reviews complaints that it receives against airlines to ensure that consumers’ rights are not violated.

Tarmac Delays

In April 2022, airlines reported 33 tarmac delays of more than three hours on domestic flights, compared to seven tarmac delays reported in March 2022. In April 2022, airlines reported one tarmac delay of more than four hours on international flights, compared to zero tarmac delays reported in March 2022.

Airlines are required to have and adhere to assurances that they will not allow aircraft to remain on the tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international flights without providing passengers the option to deplane, subject to exceptions related to safety, security, and Air Traffic Control related reasons. An exception also exists for departure delays if the airline begins to return the aircraft to a suitable disembarkation point to deplane passengers by those times.

Extended tarmac delays are investigated by the Department.

Mishandled Baggage

In April 2022, reporting marketing carriers handled 40.0 million bags and posted a mishandled baggage rate of 0.55%, a lower rate for the March 2022 rate of 0.57% and lower rate for the pre-pandemic April 2019 rate of 0.56%.

In the previous three calendar year reports (2019 to 2022), the Department calculated the mishandled baggage rate based on the number of mishandled bags per 1,000 checked bags. The Department is now displaying the mishandled baggage data as a percentage (i.e., per 100 bags enplaned). This is consistent with the manner that the mishandled wheelchairs and scooters rate is calculated and displayed.

Mishandled Wheelchairs and Scooters

In April 2022, reporting marketing carriers reported checking 61,475 wheelchairs and scooters and mishandling 896 for a rate of 1.46% mishandled wheelchairs and scooters, higher than the rate of 1.43% mishandled in March 2022 and also higher than the rate of 1.35% mishandled in pre-pandemic April 2019.

Bumping/Oversales

Bumping/oversales data, unlike other air carrier data, are reported quarterly rather than monthly. For the first quarter of 2022, the 10 U.S. reporting marketing carriers posted an involuntary denied boarding, or bumping, rate of 0.44 per 10,000 passengers, higher than both the rate of 0.08 in the first quarter of 2021 and the rate of 0.32 in the first quarter of 2019.

Incidents Involving Animals

In April 2022, carriers reported one incident involving the death, injury, or loss of an animal while traveling by air, up from the zero reports filed in March 2022 and equal to the one report filed in pre-pandemic April 2019. April 2022’s incident involved the death of one animal.

Complaints About Treatment of Disabled Passengers

In April 2022, the Department received a total of 162 disability-related complaints, up from both the 119 disability-related complaints received in March 2022 and the 80 complaints received in pre-pandemic April 2019.

Complaints About Discrimination

In April 2022, the Department received eight complaints alleging discrimination – five complaints regarding race, one complaint regarding national origin, and two complaints regarding color. This is down from the 19 complaints received in March 2022, but up from the five complaints recorded in pre-pandemic April 2019.

Source: US Department of Transportation Press Release

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UK Civil Aviation Authority Announces Landmark Changes for Pilots Living with HIV

The UK Civil Aviation Authority, with the support of the Terrence Higgins Trust, the National AIDS Trust and the British HIV Association, in June 20, issued a landmark package of measures for pilots living with HIV to support them flying and continuing with their careers.

The regulator has published important new guidance on how pilots living with HIV will be medically assessed to obtain and continue to hold their UK licences. The regulator’s new guidance confirms that with a timely diagnosis of HIV and antiretroviral therapy, there is a much lower risk of a pilot suffering conditions that could impair their ability to safely fly aircraft.

This is a significant milestone in the global aeromedical assessment of HIV.  It means there is a now a much clearer way for pilots living with HIV to obtain unrestricted (Class 1) medical certification in the UK.  For some pilots living with HIV, it will also reduce the need for additional cognitive testing. The guidance also covers Class 3 medical certificate applicants who work, or wish to work, as air traffic control officers.

In another ground-breaking move, the regulator has also announced a six-month period (from today) during which any pilot or air traffic control officer, who has in the past not declared their HIV positive status when applying for an aeromedical certificate, can come forward in total confidence to the Civil Aviation Authority to correct their record, without having to notify their employer.

Anyone doing this within the six-month period will face no enforcement action for not previously declaring their positive HIV status and the regulator’s medical team will work through a review of their health status with them, following the new guidance, to ensure their medical information is accurate and up to date.

Richard Moriarty, CEO of the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “The UK will continue to lead the way in supporting pilots living with HIV to fly safely and pursue their careers and dreams. Recent medical advances mean that if someone with HIV effectively manages their condition, they should be able to live a near-normal life.  Our new guidance recognises this. I want to appeal personally to anyone who has previously not declared their HIV status to contact us within the next six months so we can reset this with you in total confidence.”

Ian Green, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust said: “These landmark changes, removing the final barriers to people living with HIV having a full career as a commercial pilot, reflect the huge progress we’ve made in the fight against HIV over the last 40 years and mark the UK as a global leader in HIV aviation policy. Out-dated restrictions were holding pilots living with HIV back in their careers, but now the Civil Aviation Authority’s policies and practices will reflect the reality of living with HIV today.

“These changes will immediately benefit pilots who can now share that they are living with HIV without any negative impact on their career. While the shift also sends a clear message to the general public that HIV has changed and a diagnosis doesn’t have to stop anyone from fulfilling their dreams and goals as a commercial pilot or anything else.”

Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of National AIDS Trust, said: “We are delighted the Civil Aviation Authority has listened to our concerns and pilots can now declare their HIV status without it getting in the way of their job. HIV is now a manageable long-term health condition and people with HIV can live long and healthy lives. There is no medical reason why HIV should stand in the way of any job, including flying planes, and it’s great to see UK aviation industry policy recognising this. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to a world where HIV stigma doesn’t hold anyone back from living the life they choose.”

Laura Waters, Chair of the British HIV Association, said: “Pilots should be judged on their ability to fly planes, not whether or not they are living with HIV. We will never overcome the unacceptable stigma that still faces people living with HIV if national bodies fail to follow the science – well done to the Civil Aviation Authority for doing just that. Where the Civil Aviation Authority leads in recognising people with HIV can live normal lives, may other aviation organisations, and other key UK bodies follow!”

  1. To obtain and maintain their UK licences all commercial pilots must have an aeromedical certificate and as part of the application process their medical declarations confirm their HIV status.
  2. Following diagnosis of HIV infection, a pilot’s medical certificate is temporarily suspended while they establish treatment and an aeromedical assessment takes place. The regulator’s new guidance sets out what steps and testing a pilot needs to undertake to enable them to return to the skies. This will include confirming that the condition is well controlled with regular follow up and monitoring in place.
  3. The UK has taken the lead in aeromedical policy for pilots with HIV based on the latest science and the new guidance now has less onerous testing and certification requirements than other international regulators.
  4. Link to full guidance can be found on our website: Infectious diseases guidance material (GM) | Civil Aviation Authority (caa.co.uk)

Information about the six-month reset period

During the six-month reset period (from 20 June 2022) any pilot or air traffic control officer who has not previously declared their HIV positive status when applying for an aeromedical certificate can come forward in total confidence to the Civil Aviation Authority to correct their record without having to notify their employer.  Within the six-month reset period, they will face no enforcement action from the regulator for not coming forward before for whatever reason.

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority (UKCAA) Press Release

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