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Bad weather and airline staffing shortages have created a perfect storm for flight cancellations and delays heading into the Fourth of July holiday.
Passengers at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) began to feel the effects of the air traffic snarl Wednesday evening, as many travelers waited in lines to rebook flights and make connections. By Thursday, the airport saw a total of 143 delays and 37 cancellations, according to Flightaware.
Airlines have canceled more than 5,800 flights nationwide since Saturday, and SFO's largest carrier — United Airlines — has been taking the brunt of this mini-crisis. By midday on Thursday, the airline accounted for 36 of the cancellations and 53 delayed flights at SFO.
Storms in the Northeast caused some of the flight delays, but it's not just the weather that's causing disruptions. Instead, staffing shortages, at both U.S. airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control operations, have exacerbated the situation.
This week United Airlines CEO pointed the finger at FAA staffing and inexperience. United CEO Scott Kirby sent a letter to United employees on Monday, blaming the FAA for travel disruptions this past weekend at Newark Airport, one of United's busiest hubs.
In a statement, United said it is beginning to see improvement across its operation and expects to cancel far fewer seats today compared to yesterday. The carrier said its baggage backlog at Newark has dropped more than 30% since Tuesday, and off-duty flight attendants are calling in from across the country to staff open trips.
"It’s all-hands-on-deck as our pilots get aircraft moving, contact center teams work overtime to take care of our customers, and our airport customer service staff works tirelessly to deliver bags and board flights," an airline representative stated in an email. "As our operation improves in the days ahead, we will be on track to restore our operation for the holiday weekend."
Earlier this month, United rolled out a quick display of new flight options via its upgraded app for passengers whose flights are seriously delayed or canceled — a welcome option given that the airline has the distinction of having the most flights affected by weather.
United stock (Nasdaq: UAL) was down almost 4% on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Oakland International saw 35 delayed flights and only one cancellation, according to Flightaware. Similarly in the South Bay, effects were minimal at San Jose Mineta International Airport, which tallied 43 delays and only three cancellations.
Southwest Airlines flights accounted for the bulk of delays at both Oakland and San Jose airports on Thursday.
Total 2021 passengers, SFO + OAK
| Rank | Prior Rank | Airline/Prior rank |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | United Airlines |
2 | 2 | Southwest Airlines |
3 | 3 | SkyWest Airlines Inc. |
