Airlines grapples with massive delays and cancellations amid weather turbulence.
Key Points:
- Over 8,200 flights were delayed and more than 1,600 cancelled in the US due to severe summer storms.
- Delta Airlines reported over 1,200 flight delays and approximately 400 cancellations, impacting 11% of its schedule.
- Ongoing staffing issues have further intensified disruptions in flight services throughout the summer.
ATLANTA — Severe summer storms wreaked havoc on US flights, resulting in the disruption of more than 9,000 flights in the eastern part of the country. FlightAware data revealed that on Monday alone, over 8,200 flights faced delays, with an additional 1,600 US flights being cancelled.
Delta Airlines, one of the major carriers, was significantly affected. The airline reported around 400 cancellations, equating to 11% of its daily schedule. Furthermore, they experienced more than 1,200 delays. Addressing the situation, a Delta spokesperson informed CNN, "Our Atlanta hub was severely impacted by the ongoing weather conditions. Our teams are exerting their utmost efforts to rectify the situation. We extend our sincere apologies to our valued customers for the inconvenience."
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took measures to slow down flights approaching major eastern US airports, including those in New York, Philadelphia, and the Washington, D.C. area, due to the raging thunderstorms. The storms, which have the potential to affect around 120 million individuals in the Eastern US, prompted the FAA to caution about disruptions for flights spanning from Florida to New York.
However, the weather isn't the sole culprit for the air travel chaos. Persistent staffing shortages plaguing both airlines and air traffic control have consistently triggered ground stops throughout this summer's travel season. Compounding the issue, the FAA mentioned its restricted capacity to navigate New York flights northward via Canadian airspace, attributing this to "staffing issues" in Canada.
