American Airlines canceled in excess of 1,700 flights over Halloween weekend, including more than 800 on Sunday alone, because of weather and staff deficiencies, the organization said.
The cancellations are only the most recent in a months-long battle airlines have been looking as travel has gotten again in the pandemic. While demand has been consistently bouncing back, transporters remain hamstrung by staff cuts set up over eighteen months prior when COVID-19 started to decimate the industry.
American Airlines says that 343 were canceled on Friday, followed by one more 548 cancellations on Saturday. Most of the canceled flights were coming to and from the airline’s main hub in Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as in Charlotte, N.C.
In a letter to staff sent out Saturday, the organization’s chief operating officer, David Seymour, said the organization “proactively” canceled flights on Sunday in view of extreme winds in the Dallas/Fort Worth region and a deficiency of teams.
“Most of the customers being impacted by these changes are being rebooked the same day, ” Seymour wrote, “We apologize for having to make these changes.”
On the staffing front, Seymour said 1,800 airline stewards are getting back from leave in November, and that the organization will add 600 new airline stewards before the year’s over.
Climate and staffing deficiencies are similar reasons American refered to when they canceled almost 1,000 flights in July. What’s more, they aren’t the only airline that has been dealing with this issue.
Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines refered to issues with climate and air traffic control, canceling 1,000 flights over a weekend. Spirit Airlines additionally canceled many flights on a single day in August.
Reaction to the canceled flights has been quick, and obviously basic, via social media, too, with photographs showing long lines for re-booking flights.
Dakota Staren, a Washington D.C. resident, said her flight to Phoenix, Ariz., that had a delay in Charlotte, was canceled only an hour and a half before departure.
She was at that point while heading to the airport when she discovered and gave re-booking a shot the airline’s app and via phone with no achievement.
“I was on hold for an hour and a half with no avail,” Staren told NPR, calling the experience frustrating; she had to miss a funeral because of the cancellation.