Airlines have cancelled almost 3,500 flights in the United States this weekend, and hundreds more have been delayed, citing weather in Florida and other factors.
According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website;
Major delays were reported at many Florida airports, including 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 the most affected, with JetBlue and Spirit cancelling a third of Sunday’s scheduled flights. Storms were reported in Florida on Saturday, according to local news. Several airlines reported that operations have returned to normal on Sunday.
Social Media Flooded With Complaints
The cancellations came as air transport was beginning to recover after the pandemic, with high demand for spring-break trips. People on social media complained about being delayed for days after their flights were cancelled and they had to wait on hold or in lines for hours to get them rescheduled.
Airline’s Comments
A JetBlue spokesperson said in an email; “Severe weather in the Southeast and multiple air traffic control delay programs have created significant impacts on the industry. Today’s cancellations will help us reset our operation and safely move our crews and aircraft back into position.”
Southwest Airlines also stated “weather and airspace congestion” Saturday in Florida, as well as a “technology issue.” It cancelled about 1,000 flights over the weekend but said that as of 1 p.m. Eastern, it had no more cancellations on Sunday.
American Airlines said; “Florida weather Saturday affected its operations, and it was recovering today.”
Alaska Airlines seems to be dealing with a different problem; The airline announced on Sunday that weekend flight disruptions that began on Friday had affected more than 37,000 customers and that additional cancellations were possible. The airline declined to explain why it suspended flights but said in a statement that it was due to contract disputes with its pilots. Off-duty pilots picketed in numerous cities across the United States on Friday in protest of delayed negotiations. For the past three years, they have been without a new contract.
“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
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