Hundreds of Flights Canceled Monday As Weekend Travel Woes Continue
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The United States airline industry was struggling to get back on track on Monday after thousands of flights were canceled over the weekend and thousands more delayed.
As of Monday morning, just over 470 flights had been canceled and over 690 delayed within, into, or out of the U.S., according to flight tracker FlightAware — a significant improvement over Sunday when 1,659 U.S. flights were canceled and more than 5,700 flights were delayed.
On Sunday, Southwest had the most cancellations at 400, or 10% of its schedule, as well as the most delays at more than 1,400, according to FlightAware. JetBlue saw 373 cancellations (34% of its schedule), and Spirit Airlines saw 308 cancellations (37% of its schedule). Finally, American Airlines dealt with 271 cancellations or about 8% of its schedule.
In total, more than 3,500 U.S. flights were canceled over the weekend, The Associated Press reported, with airlines blaming weather in Florida and other problems like airspace congestion. Storms blew across the Sunshine State, hitting major tourist areas like Orlando, according to The Weather Channel.
"Severe weather in the Southeast and multiple air traffic control delay programs have created significant impacts on the industry," a JetBlue spokesperson told the AP. "Today's cancellations will help us reset our operation and safely move our crews and aircraft back in to position."
Similarly, a Southwest representative also told the wire service that "weather and airspace congestion" in Florida, as well as a "technology issue", caused disruptions.
While there is no guarantee of escaping a flight delay or cancelation, it is less likely at some airports, like Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole in Kailua-Kona (on Hawaii's Big Island), Kahului Airport (on Maui), and Lihue Airport (on Kauai), which happen to have the lowest rates of major arrival delays.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport, which both had the most frequent delays, according to a recent study.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
