American Air Accidentally Gave Too Many Pilots Christmas Off

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Travelers walk past an American Airlines Group Inc. aircraft at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. percent from 2016.

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
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American Airlines Group Inc. is rushing to resolve a scheduling fault that gave time off to too many pilots in December -- a flaw that has left more than 15,000 flights without enough crew during the holiday rush, according to a union for the carrier’s pilots.

The Allied Pilots Association estimated the number of affected flights, from Dec. 17 to Dec. 31, based on information provided by the carrier, said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the union. American spokesman Matt Miller declined to quantify the potential number of flights involved, saying the airline expects to correct the problem in time to prevent service disruptions.