By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rio’s mayor and its former mayor said they were “shocked” by American Airlines’ recent announcement to end commercial air service to Del Rio and say efforts have begun to reverse that decision or to find a new carrier.
Mayor Al Arreola spoke to The 830 Times about American’s announcement, which was publicized Thursday, Jan. 5.
“It was a shocker,” Arreola said in a telephone interview Friday, Jan. 6.
Arreola said he had already spoken with representatives of Val Verde County, the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District, both area chambers of commerce and the maquiladora association about the announcement.
“We’re going to continue talking to American Airlines,” the mayor pledged.
Arreola was quick to point out the decision by American was in no way precipitated by any city action or inaction.
“I’ve also reached out to our Texas Sen. Roland Gutierrez, Texas Rep. Eddie Morales, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, and everybody is on board with us, ready to support us, to support the city of Del Rio. They know the importance of this airline staying here,” Arreola said.
The 830 Times also spoke to former Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano, who presided over the airlines’ most recent iteration in Del Rio in the fall of 2018 and who has worked as a flight attendant in the airline industry for nearly two decades.
“I was really sad when I heard the news . . . I found out from a friend of mine who works at American,” Lozano said in a telephone interview on Friday, Jan. 6.
Lozano reiterated information passed to the city by American Airlines officials who made the announcement: One of the major problems facing American and other major air carriers is a shortage of pilots.
“There is a real shortage of pilots for the regional carriers. This predates COVID, so back in 2018, 2019, even before that, there was Congressional and FAA authorization to extend pilots’ retirement age. Pilots used to have to retire by mandate at age 60. Then Congress extended that, through the FAA, to age 65, which bought the airlines five more years to recruit qualified pilots in time to replace those who were going to be retiring,” Lozano said.
“But back then, the requirement was also to have 1,500 flying hours, and airlines used to be really restrictive on who they hired, but then COVID happened, and not only were they dealing with the crunch about the retirement age, the airline industry in and of itself allowed a lot of pilots to retire (during COVID) to keep airlines from going under,” the former mayor added.
But as quickly as the airline industry crashed when the public essentially stopped traveling during COVID, it recovered even faster, Lozano said.
“At the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022, people began traveling again, and the airline industry was not anticipating recovering as quickly as they did, and then the airlines just couldn’t hire personnel fast enough,” Lozano said.
Lozano explained that major air carriers, which pay more money, were able to hire pilots who had been flying for regional carriers like the company that services Del Rio under American’s banner.
Like Arreola, Lozano emphasized American’s decision to cease flights into and out of Del Rio isn’t a function of the airline’s performance here.
“It’s not a function of anything the city has done wrong,” Lozano said.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
