Airline Short on Pilots Cancels Flights

Republic Airways Holdings has canceled at least 22 flights from Louisville, Ky., because it was short on pilots or flight attendants, the company says.

The company — which operates regional Chautauqua Airlines, Republic Airlines and Shuttle America for Delta Air Lines, Continental, United and other big carriers — says the staffing crunch is due to major airlines hiring pilots for the first time in several years, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal reported.

We’re not alone, spokesman Warren Wilkinson said. The entire industry is facing pilot shortages.

Between Nov. 1 and April 12 Republic canceled another 58 flights leaving Louisville due to weather and other issues, the airline says.

All 80 cancellations amounted to 3.5 percent of its 2,297 departures.

The nation’s major carriers canceled an average of 2.9 percent of all scheduled flights from November through February, the U.S. Transportation Department said.

This is something new that we’ve experienced, Wilkinson said. We’re adjusting our hiring and training programs to keep pace with the higher demand. We believe we’ll get ahead of it in the next few months.