Financial TimesFinancial Times

Airlines hit by jet shortages in new challenge for aviation

By Philip Georgiadis, Sylvia Pfeifer, Claire Bushey

21 Oct 2022 · 4 min read

Editor's Note

The long-suffering airline industry has a new problem on its hands: a shortage of jets. The Financial Times looks at the causes and the consequences of the setback.

Southwest Airlines has a problem. America’s largest low-cost carrier has been forced to reduce the number of daily flights because the company does not have enough planes and is also short of pilots to fly them.

The airline “sold more flights than they’ve been able to operate”, said Captain Casey Murray, president of Southwest Airlines Pilots Association. It has gone from offering about 5,000 flights a day to a range of 4,000 to 4,300 as it waits for Boeing to deliver jets.

Sign in to informed

  • Curated articles from premium publishers, ad-free
  • Concise Daily Briefs with quick-read summaries
  • Read, listen, save for later, or enjoy offline
  • Enjoy personalized content
Or

LoginForm.agreeToTerms