Airways have canceled greater than 3,500 U.S. flights this weekend and delayed 1000’s extra, citing unhealthy climate in Florida and different points
By TALI ARBEL AP Know-how Author
April 3, 2022, 11:15 PM
• 2 min learn
Airways have canceled greater than 3,500 U.S. flights this weekend and delayed 1000’s extra, citing climate in Florida and different points.
FlightAware, a web site that tracks flights, famous main disruptions at a number of Florida airports, together with in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando, in addition to Baltimore, New York and different airports across the nation. JetBlue, Southwest, Alaska Airways, Frontier, Spirit and American Airways had been most affected, based on FlightAware, with JetBlue and Spirit canceling one-third of Sunday’s scheduled flights. Native information reported storms in Florida on Saturday. A number of airways mentioned Sunday that operations are returning to regular.
The spate of cancellations arrived as air journey is rebounding from the pandemic, with sturdy demand for spring-break flights. Folks on social media complained about ready on maintain or in traces for hours to get their canceled flights rescheduled and being stranded for days.
“Extreme climate within the Southeast and a number of air site visitors management delay applications have created important impacts on the trade,” a JetBlue spokesperson mentioned in an electronic mail. “At present’s cancellations will assist us reset our operation and safely transfer our crews and plane again in to place.”
Southwest Airways additionally cited “climate and airspace congestion” Saturday in Florida, in addition to a “know-how concern.” It canceled about 1,000 flights over the weekend however mentioned that as of 1 p.m. Jap, it had no extra cancellations on Sunday.
American mentioned Florida climate Saturday affected its operations, and it was recovering at present.
Alaska Airways appeared to be coping with a separate concern. The airline mentioned Sunday that weekend flight cancellations that started Friday have affected greater than 37,000 clients and, additional cancellations had been attainable. The airline declined to say why it canceled flights, however referred in its assertion to contract negotiations with its pilots. Off-duty pilots picketed in a number of U.S. cities Friday over stalled negotiations. They’ve been with no new contract for 3 years.
“Alaska Airways did not correctly plan for elevated journey demand and take the steps essential to make sure it attracted and retained pilots,” the pilots union mentioned in a Friday press launch