Upwards of 3,500 U.S. flights were scrapped over the weekend and thousands more delayed just as travel rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic.
Weather, staff availability, airspace congestion, and “technology issues” were just some of the reasons airlines gave for the disruptions as Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg remained silent on the matter.
AP reports FlightAware, a website that tracks flights and availability, highlighted a string of major disruptions at several Florida airports, including in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando, as well as Baltimore, New York and other airports around the country.
JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Spirit and American Airlines were most affected, according to FlightAware, with JetBlue and Spirit canceling one-third of Sunday’s scheduled flights.
The problems pose significant revenue challenges for airlines already struggling to return services to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels.
Local news reported storms in Florida on Saturday. Several airlines said Sunday operations are returning to normal but some delays are expected.
Southwest, the nation’s largest domestic carrier, was the hardest hit in flight numbers. The airline ditched 520 Saturday flights, or 14 percent of its total national operation, and 398 Sunday flights.
In addition to weather, Southwest said an “intermittent technology issue” early Saturday that hurt the airline.
USA Today reports budget airline Spirit, which has its headquarters and largest hub in Fort Lauderdale, had the highest percentage of weekend problems.
The carrier dropped 27 percent of its Saturday flights and the same figure again for its Sunday flights, according to FlightAware.
According to the AP report, Alaska Airlines seemed to be dealing with a separate issue.
The airline said Sunday weekend flight cancellations that began Friday have affected more than 37,000 customers and further schedule changes were possible.
It declined to say why but referred in its statement to contract negotiations with its pilots. Off-duty pilots picketed in several U.S. cities Friday over stalled negotiations.
Airport workers participate in a rally organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) outside of the Willis Tower headquarters of United Airlines on March 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
They have been without a new contract for three years.
“Alaska Airlines failed to properly plan for increased travel demand and take the steps necessary to ensure it attracted and retained pilots,” the pilots union said in a Friday press release.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg remained silent on the matter as of late Sunday night and into Monday morning.
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