Airlines are running out of flight numbers, and they don’t know what to do about it

undefined 6, 2024

Source: viewfromthewing

Airlines like American, Delta, and United are running out of four-digit flight numbers due to high volume and codesharing with partners. American Airlines, for instance, has more than 9,999 flights they need to number, including regional and codeshare flights. To manage this, they use techniques like assigning the same number to multiple flights per day and using 'out and back' flight numbers. The outdated system, built on legacy tech from the 60s, complicates adding extra digits. The issue affects only a few major airlines, but solutions are challenging and costly.

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