Delta Air Lines is pre-emptively cancelling around 100 flights a day in July and August.
The US carrier is slashing its schedules ahead of time in order to minimise travel disruptions this summer.
The airline said in a statement that the move is designed to “build additional resilience in our system and improve operational reliability for our customers and employees.”
Staff shortages due to an increased number of employees calling in sick during the pandemic, plus bad weather, have taken their toll on American carriers, including Delta.
Cutting flights ahead of time is one strategy the airline is using to reduce the travel chaos seen at airports around the world in recent months.
“We deeply appreciate the energy and efforts of our people and the confidence of our customers as we adapt and pivot to ensure we provide the airline-of-choice experience we’re so proud to be known for,” said chief customer experience officer Allison Ausband.
She added that Delta will be trying to keep up with the surge in demand for air travel by hiring hundreds of new crew members each month and improving its on-time performance.
Customers affected by the cancellations will be notified in advance.
Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways have also proactively slimmed down schedules this summer in the US, with the former culling capacity by 2 per cent until July, and the latter axing 8-10 per cent of flights in May.
Alaska also plans to hire 150 pilots and 1,100 flight attendants to cope with demand.
The strategy of cancelling flights ahead of time mirrors that of British Airways in the UK.
The flag carrier is currently cutting more than 100 services a day, with customers notified well in advance.
