Airlines’ complex moves in major weather events keep us safe
We’re almost at the end of Atlantic hurricane season and heading into winter, and frequent flyers know that means a higher chance of irregular operations for airlines. Whether it’s a major hurricane like Ian, or a localized weather conditions, the effects on flights can be significant – and sometimes have a ripple effect on the system.
Flight crews dread irregular operations as much as (or more than) passengers do. When the schedule is disrupted by weather, many complex decisions must be made that affect passengers, flight crews, maintenance, and the stations. It is not a simple process.
For an airline, operational efficiency is the key to success. Having the right airplane, crewed by the right people, and having the right maintenance support at the right gate is essential. The planning for this occurs months before the flight, but once the weather disrupts the plan, it is challenging to get all the parts necessary for a flight back in their place.
The nerve center is the operations control center, where flight dispatchers, crew schedulers and maintenance schedulers work to adapt to the everchanging events while keeping the planes safely flying. They are the unsung heroes who solve the challenges of irregular operations.
How do airlines manage big weather events?
In cases of large-scale events like hurricanes or blizzards, which are known well in advance, all the flyable airplanes are evacuated, and inbound flights canceled, but operations control centers must ask themselves: Where do we put the airplanes to recover the most rapidly? They can’t all go to one airport, or they will overwhelm the station’s ability to handle them. Are there enough hotel rooms available for the rerouted passengers and crew members? Can routine and unexpected maintenance be performed while the airplanes are on the ground?
Crew members, maintenance technicians and flight dispatchers all have mandatory rest periods between duty shifts. The dispatchers and schedulers in the operations control center must take that into account when reassigning crews or planning routine maintenance. It requires experience, coordination and attention to detail to get the right crew, at the right airplane, at the right gate. For the flight crews, this can be especially frustrating, sometimes turning a planned two-day trip into a four or fiveday odyssey. Adding stress is sorting out the rerouting of all the passengers affected. Frustration is an unfortunate part of the process.
Why do delays happen if airlines know of incoming weather events?
Airlines do what they can to get passengers and cargo to their destination as close to schedule as possible. Sometimes, it can be days before that can be accomplished. For the airline, it is still not over, as they must return to normal scheduled operations, but realize that some scheduled pilots and flight attendants will not be available due to the rerouting they experienced during irregular operations.
Weather events at major airports can cause delays and cancellations across the country and internationally. Due to the number of airplanes that fly through large major airports, the ripple effect can cause delays at many secondary airports, sometimes for days.
As we head into winter season, it’s important to remember that hundreds of experienced professionals are working to solve the many issues. If you learn of a possible storm affecting your flight or receive an email with a modified itinerary, realize that those decisions were not made lightly and are probably one of your best options.
One last consideration is that the phone reservation lines quickly get clogged. Try email or the chat feature on the airlines’ websites; they may get you faster answers.
No one likes seeing travel plans disrupted. After watching the airlines cope with various storms over many decades, it makes me appreciate the professionals in the operations control centers around the country for keeping us flying.