American Airlines in trouble after 'Computer glitch' grants leaves for too many pilots

The situation may sound hilarious, but for the airline it is a nightmare as its reputation is at stake.

The American Airlines is likely to face acute manpower shortage during the Christmas week as a computer glitch has approved leaves of too many of its pilots, said reports.

The accidental approval of leaves could leave an estimated 15,000 flights with nobody to sit in the cockpit.

Reports say that the airline is now willing to offer 1.5 times the regular pay for pilots to man the flights which would otherwise be cancelled.

The situation may sound hilarious, but for the airline, it is a nightmare as its reputation is at stake. The American Airlines is now frantically working with the pilot's union to find a solution.

The Allied Pilots Association, however, said in a public statement that American Airlines' solution for crewing the flights is in violation of its contract, reported Jalopnik.

Another report said that the American Airlines' management had not reached out to the pilots union as of Wednesday.

This is not the first time that erroneously granted leaves have led to cancellation of flights. In September, Europe's Ryanair had to cancel 2,100 flights for approving leaves of too many of its crew.

OneIndia News