American Airlines pilots want managers replaced over flight disruptions

American Airlines pilots’ union says that company managers should be replaced because of the hundreds of flight disruptions that affected tens of thousands of customers this year.

The board of directors of the Allied Pilots Association this week approved a resolution that calls on the company to change out the managers responsible for the airline’s operations, saying that staff failed to provide a reliable service and in turn, hurt the carrier’s brand.

The board of directors “believes it is in the best interest of the American Airlines shareholders, employees, the communities it serves, and the traveling public for the management team members who control the American Airlines operation be replaced,” said the resolution. The union isn’t seeking top management be removed.

The resolution said 60,000 customers were affected by cancellations over Father’s Day weekend in June.

American had cut its schedule by about 1% in early July amid staffing shortages. The carrier and other airlines including Southwest have had to trim ambitious flight schedules after a lack of workers exacerbated flight disruptions over the summer.

American declined to comment on the union’s resolution but provided a company memo sent to pilots before Labor Day that said that pilot staffing had improved during the summer.

“We feel good about where we are today and have worked hard to be able to ensure we are set up for success the rest of this year and beyond,” the memo said.