SEATAC, Wash. — On Tuesday, off-duty Delta pilots placed themselves front and center at Sea-Tac International Airport to make it clear that they are fatigued and frustrated.
"We're here just to carry that message to the company. They've told us that they're not going to bring back additional flying this summer, that they're going to have capacity constraints, but so far, the pilots are still flying month after month with record amounts of overtime,” said Captain Jason Ambrosi, the Chairman of the Delta Chapter of the Air Line Pilots Association.
Captain Ambrosi says pilots are facing longer days and shorter rest periods.
"We're recovering [from the pandemic] fast and passenger demand is there. The people want to fly so the airline wants to carry as many people as they can,” said Ambrosi.
At Sea-Tac International Airport the numbers show Spring Break travel volumes were expected to be at least 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
As more customers come back, Delta says they are working hard to deliver for them. The airline says it is also continuously evaluating staffing.
In a statement, Morgan Durrant, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson, wrote, “pilot schedules remain in line with all requirements set by the FAA as well as those outlined in our pilot contract.”
In response, Ambrosi said, "it may be per the contract and the FAA but asking your pilots to fly record amounts of overtime on their off days in order to get our passengers safely to their destinations is problematic.”
"The company is hiring as fast as they can right now. So, there is a solution to the problem because help is on the way. It's just, it's managing it and not over-scheduling the airline in the interim,” he continued.
The picket is part of a series of protests. Delta pilots are scheduled to take part in another one on Thursday in Minneapolis. The protests involve off-duty pilots, and Delta says it is not impacting operations for customers.