Here’s why your flight might be canceled this summer

• American Airlines cancels 1,000 July flights because of a travel surge
• United Airlines CEO warns of a possible pilot shortage
• Nearly 10,000 flights were delayed on Sunday

Summer travel is surging, but it catching a flight may not be the breeze you were hoping for.

Thanks to a post-pandemic travel boom, American Airlines is canceling 1,000 flights, while another major U.S. airline’s CEO warned of a possible pilot shortage.

American Airlines to cancel 1,000 flights in July

American Airlines said on Sunday that it was cutting around 1,000 flights from its July docket, according to Reuters, a move designed to bring flexibility and stability to the company through the summer.

“These schedule adjustments will help ensure we can take good care of our customers and team members and minimize surprises at the airport,” American Airlines said in a statement.

Most of the cancellations will occur in the first half of the month. Travelers on canceled flights were automatically rebooked on other flights, but still have to deal with departure-time changes, unforeseen connections, and other hiccups. Travelers are being advised to keep up to date on their flights in July. USA Today reported that passengers whose departure times were affected by more than four hours are eligible for a refund, not just the standard travel credit.

United Airlines warns of possible pilot shortage

Another issue air passengers are facing this summer has its origins in an unlikely historic event: the end of the Cold War. In an interview with the HBO news series “Axios,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that the U.S. could face a possible pilot shortage because the military isn’t producing as many pilots as it did when it was a national priority to prepare for a potential war with the Soviet Union. It’s common for Air Force, Navy and Army pilots to take jobs with commercial airlines after retiring from military service.

That shortage is running smack into the increased demand for travel as people want to take vacations after over a year of COVID-19 restrictions. United Airlines in May said domestic leisure fares had already surpassed 2019 levels.

Kirby said the airline hopes to train a new generation of pilots through its Aviate Academy, which committed to 50% of the class being women or people of color.

Weather, labor-related delays

It’s already been a stormy time for commercial flights — literally. On Sunday alone, nearly 10,000 flights were delayed in the U.S., with Southwest Airlines seeing a whopping 30% of its flights leave late, The New York Times reported. It didn’t get much better for rival airlines — 25% of American Airlines’ flights were delayed on that day.

“The first few weeks of June have brought unprecedented weather to our largest hubs, heavily impacting our operation and causing delays, canceled flights, and disruptions to crew member schedules and our customers’ plans,” American Airlines said in a statement.

Airlines have already warned passengers that they could be booted from flights if they violate weight restrictions, and the  Transportation Security Administration has a staffing shortage at 131 of the U.S.’s largest airports.

It seems that flyers are in for a complicated summer.