Airlines canceled thousands of flights this week, blaming staffing shortages, as Americans return to traveling in droves this summer. But airlines and the federal government are at odds over which staffing shortages are the fundamental cause.
More than 1,400 flights were canceled in the United States yesterday, and more than 5,800 were significantly delayed. Airlines started the summer travel season by canceling approximately 2,800 flights in the United States around Memorial Day and with the July 4th weekend coming up, there appears to be no relief in sight. Worldwide, more than 21,000 flights were canceled or delayed yesterday.
On busy summer travel days, the number of passengers often exceeds 2 million per day. With staffing stretched tight, any disruptions, including from weather, severely tax airlines’ ability to recover and get passengers to their destinations. James Ferrara, president of InteleTravel, a travel agency, said passengers just experienced “another travel Armageddon weekend.”…