American Airlines to Stop Flights to Toledo, Ohio, Among Other Cities, Due to Pilot Shortage

American Airlines intends to drop its flight services to Toledo, Ohio, among the other U.S. cities, in September.

CNBC News reported that the Fort Worth-based pinned the blame on service cuts on a shortage of regional pilots. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have done the same measure between some smaller cities and their hubs.

Aside from Toledo, Ohio, Islip, New York will also have its flight services cut. It also includes Ithaca, New York and Dubuque, which will lose service from American Airlines on September 7.

Holly Kemler, the spokeswoman for Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport, said that the airport staff is "incredibly disappointed" by American Airlines' decision. Kemler said that the decision was made solely by the airline, which was mainly due to a shortage of regional pilots.

The spokeswoman added that they understand that it is a current continued trend in the aviation industry.

American Airlines noted that the affected cities will still be served by flights at other airports that are between 45 miles and 120 miles away.

American Airlines Discontinued Flights

The flight cuts are officially being made at American's regional carrier Envoy Air, which also aims to suspend service between Charlotte and El Paso, Charlotte and Sioux Falls, and Dallas to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Service between Philadelphia and Santo Domingo and Philadelphia to Santiago and the Dominican Republic will also be suspended this winter, according to a Fortune report.

The company said in a statement that they made the decision to end service in the U.S. small cities in response to a regional pilot shortage.

More than 5,000 flights were canceled over the Father's Day/Juneteenth weekend, with one-third of U.S. arrivals on Friday being delayed.

Earlier this year, Delta exited its service in the Grand Junction, Colorado; Cody, Wyoming; and Lincoln, Nebraska.

Airlines faced a large number of retirements and buyouts during the pandemic as they looked to lower costs. However, the demand for travel is back at 2019 levels, which is causing problems as they try to increase service.

U.S. Pilot Shortage

Many airlines have blamed the shortage and general staffing issues on increased travel demands after the easing of pandemic restrictions and the busy summer holiday season. However, airline workers argue that low wages and poor conditions are the real culprits.

The Guardian report noted that pilots say that near-daily flight reassignments have added stress to their jobs, worsening existing fatigue.

More than 1,300 Southwest airline pilots picketed in Dallas, Texas, amid stalled contract negotiations.

Capt. Casey A. Murray, a pilot and the president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, said that almost 30 percent of pilots at Southwest are reassigned daily. Murray added that it is sometimes done on longer flights that leave them feeling "overwhelmed."

The president of the pilots' association said that airline companies are going to continue to be short of staffing if they are "going to continue to misuse" them.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by Mary Webber

WATCH: Airlines grapple with a pilot shortage, causing problems for travelers - from PBS NewsHour