Global Courant 2023-05-15 17:38:31
The summer of 2022 has been a tough time for air travel, with passengers experiencing delays, long lines at security and lots of lost luggage.
With travel volume returning to pre-pandemic levels, one expert says this summer could also be plagued with problems, but remains “cautiously optimistic”.
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” John Gradek, a lecturer at McGill University School of Aviation Management, told CTV’s Your Morning on Monday.
Potential travelers are wary of a WestJet pilot strike that could take place on Tuesday if the two sides fail to reach a deal.
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents approximately 1,600 flight crews at WestJet and its subsidiary Swoop, is ask for job protection, a pay rise and better planning.
On top of the possible strike action, Gradek says Canada may be facing an imminent shortage of pilots.
“Airlines are looking at the writing on the wall,” Gradek said, noting the effects of retirement and other factors behind a declining number of pilots.
“The US has taken the initiative to look at higher wages for pilots and to start (its) own training program. So the US aviation industry is starting to realize there is a problem and I wait and see what the Canadian airlines will do doing.”
While Gradek says there are other “dark clouds” on the horizon, including a shortage of air traffic controllers in Canada and the US, he remains optimistic.
“The airports have done a good job of hiring people,” he said. “The airlines have said they’ve introduced headcounts that have pushed them over pre-pandemic 2019 headcounts. If there’s a problem there, it’s going to be how well trained they are.”
As travelers make their way to the airport, Gradek says “patience will be required” for what he expects to be a busy summer travel season.
“Let’s see if they (the industry) have learned their lesson and let’s see how the summer of 2023 develops,” said Gradek.
Click on the video at the top of this article to watch the full interview.
