American Airlines is preparing for a record-breaking summer travel season, expecting to operate more flights than ever before. Between May 16 and September 2, the airline plans to fly around 715,000 flights—an increase of 5% compared to last summer.
This means a flight will take off every 13 seconds, on average. The busiest day will be July 6, when American Airlines is scheduled to operate 6,800 flights in a single day.
“We’re set to operate the largest schedules ever at many of our hub airports,” said David Seymour, Chief Operating Officer of American Airlines. “We’ve been working hard for months to ensure our people, aircraft, facilities, and technology are ready to deliver for our customers.”
To manage the summer travel rush and help passengers with tight connections, American is testing new technology. Beginning May 12, the airline will use the new system at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), its main hub.
The technology will track passengers who may miss their connecting flights. It will help flight crews decide whether they can hold a departing plane for late-arriving passengers without affecting the overall schedule.
This tool is especially useful during summer, when weather issues like thunderstorms often delay flights. Many travelers miss connections during these disruptions.
According to American Airlines, the technology was developed by its own team. It is designed to improve and automate the current process for holding connecting flights. The goal is to help more passengers reach their final destinations on time.
Next, the airline plans to bring the technology to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina. From there, the program will expand to other hub airports across the network during the summer.
This new software is part of American’s broader effort to make flying smoother and less stressful. Earlier this year, the airline also launched programs to simplify international arrivals by improving the security process. It also released a redesigned version of its mobile app.
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