EasyJet will reduce the number of cabin staff members onboard its Airbus A319 aircraft. The decision comes as the cheap airline, located in the United Kingdom, suffers a staffing deficit.
EasyJet will remove six seats from multiple Airbus A319 aircraft as part of its plan to combat seat shortages, reducing the aircraft’s capacity to 150 seats.
Airlines must have one cabin crew member for 50 passengers, according to the UK CAA. EasyJet could operate with only three cabin staff members due to the reduced capacity.
“This summer we will be operating our UK A319 fleet with a maximum of 150 passengers on board and three crew in line with CAA regulations,” an EasyJet spokesperson told. “This is an effective way of operating our fleet while building additional resilience and flexibility into our operation this summer where we expect to be back to near 2019 levels of flying.”
According to Planespotters.net, the easyJet Group now has 321 aircraft in its fleet. There are 214 Airbus A320s, 92 Airbus A319s, and 15 Airbus A321s in the airline’s fleet.
Due to staff shortages, the UK’s busiest airports and leading airlines have been experiencing long lines, massive flight cancellations, and delays.
As a result of the high number of personnel on furlough during the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent surge in air travel demand before this year’s peak summertime, the aviation industry is experiencing staffing issues.
