American Airlines is further cutting its summer 2022 flying schedule, including dropping anticipated routes to Santiago, Chile, and delaying the launch of flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, because of aircraft supply issues.
Fort Worth-based American Airlines told employees Friday that it would publish a revised summer flight schedule this weekend that takes into account further delays on Boeing’s 787-8 Dreamliner jets, an important wide-body jet for the carrier’s long-haul network.
“Further reducing our international flying this summer is a difficult decision, but ultimately, it’s the right one for our team members and customers,” American said in the memo.
American had anticipated receiving 13 of the jets this year but is cutting its delivery expectations down to 10 as Boeing continues to try to fix manufacturing deficiencies that have stalled deliveries since last year. The FAA told Boeing this week that it was stripping some self-certification powers from the Chicago-based aerospace manufacturer and that each new plane will need to be inspected by the agency, The Seattle Times reported.
That comes after production issues were discovered in late 2020 that slowed, then halted the production of Boeing’s signature long-haul commercial aircraft, even as the company is trying to rebuild confidence after the grounding of the 737 Max, its key short-haul plane.
American has repeatedly blasted Boeing for the 787 Dreamliner delays,…