American Airlines is facing more shortages: pillows, blankets, cups, food

• Airlines face many challenges this summer, including a shortage of pilots causing flight delays and cancellations.
• American Airlines says it’s facing many other shortages, too.
• According to CEO Robert Isom, the company is having trouble every day providing pillows, blankets, plastic cups and food for trips.

While the shortage of pilots is wreaking havoc on airlines’ flight schedules, leading to waves of delays and cancellations, one airline says it is facing additional shortages affecting the customer experience on board.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told investors on this week’s earnings call that the company struggles every day to provide many essential items offered to passengers for in-flight comfort, Inc.

“The Flyers are one piece,” Isom said. “But … there is not a day that goes by where we have no problems supplying our planes with pillows, blankets, plastic cups and food. At different times, we have problems with refueling.”

He continued, “It’s just a myriad of things that all have to come together to put an airplane in the air. And yes, the aircraft parts supply chain is one of the things we monitor closely. But all of those other things are really what we monitor. It depends on many other parts of the the system “.

American Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.

Regarding the pilot shortage, Isom reportedly said last month that Americans would raise the wages of 14,000 pilots higher than initially proposed to help mitigate employment challenges. The news came weeks after the airline grounded 100 regional planes because it didn’t have enough pilots to fly them.

The Airlines Pilots Association (ALPA), an association that represents more than 14,000 pilots at rival United Airlines, voted to approve an initial agreement last month that would give pilots a 14.5% pay raise over 18 months, among other benefits, if It has been approved.

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines announced a new partnership with private airline Wheels Up to help pilots finish their training faster so airlines can hire them sooner.