Delta Air Lines' CEO says the recent flight chaos is his 'number one challenge'

• Delta Air Lines CEO said avoiding more cancelations and delays is the airline's "number one challenge" in an interview with the Financial Times.
• Travelers on Delta have recently been faced with an uptick in flight delays, cancelations, and lost luggage.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said avoiding air travel chaos has been the airline's "number one challenge" in an interview with the Financial Times.

US airlines have been plagued by delays, cancelations, staffing shortages, and lost luggage this summer, and Delta has been no exception.

Delta's CEO attributed some of the recent havoc to a massive uptick in travelers, telling the Financial Times that flight delays and cancelations in May and June were their "rough patch... a function of an enormous surge in demand." Bastian said Delta "didn't do as good as we could."

Delta recently announced plans to reduce flights through August to try to mitigate flight disruptions.

Despite the issues many air travelers have faced this summer, Bastian doesn't think the recent surge in air travel will cool down any time soon, telling the FT he sees "very healthy demand." He also said seating capacity is still at only 82% of the pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

While some experts predict that an economic slowdown and rising inflation will weigh on how much people are willing to spend, Bastian doesn't think that will hurt his airline yet, telling the FT that he's "not worried" about recession risks.

Delta could not immediately be reached for comment.