Alaska Airlines denies a labor shortage is behind it reducing flights to Seattle, disputing a claim by a Kansas airport

Wichita Airport said Alaska Airlines suspended some Kansas City-Seattle services “because of labor shortages.” Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

• Wichita Airport said Alaska Airlines suspended some flights to Seattle “because of labor shortages.”

• Alaska has denied this, saying the flight reductions are “normal seasonal operational changes”.

• The airline flies two fewer flights each week from Wichita to Seattle in December.

Alaska Airlines has fewer flights between Wichita, Kansas and Seattle, Washington in November and December.

Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport said in an update in early October that this was due to “labor shortages” without going into detail – but Alaska denied in a statement to Insider that the change was related to staffing.

“This is part of the usual seasonal operational changes and does not reflect staff changes,” said a spokesman.

The airline normally flies daily from Wichita to Seattle, but is cutting its Saturday flight in November and December and its Tuesday flight in December, Wichita Airport said.

Alaska’s website shows that there are no direct flights from Wichita to Seattle available on these days.

The news was first reported by the Wichita Business Journal.

Seattle is the only route serving Alaska from Wichita Airport, and Alaska is the only airline with direct flights between the two cities.

In August, just over 2,000 passengers flew from Wichita on Alaskan flights.

The US is suffering from a labor shortage that affects industries from education and healthcare to trucks and restaurants. Record numbers of Americans have quit their jobs in search of better wages, benefits and working conditions.

Airlines laid off workers or put them on extended vacations as the pandemic stalled travel. Travel has recovered with the introduction of the coronavirus vaccine and the reopening of travel corridors, and airlines have struggled to find enough pilots, flight attendants and support staff to meet the growing demand.

American Airlines canceled around 400 flights over a three-day period in June due to staff shortages and maintenance issues. Spirit Airlines also canceled hundreds of flights in August due to a combination of bad weather, system outages and staffing issues.

The story goes on

Both cancellations were exacerbated by factors beyond understaffing and flights were canceled on short notice.

This article has been updated to include Alaska’s response.

Do you work for Alaska Airlines? Do you have a story to share? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com. Always use a non-work email.

Extended coverage module: what-is-the-labor-shortage-and-how-long-it-will-be

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