American and Spirit Airlines Cancel Hundreds of Flights
American Airlines and Spirit Airlines customers have had a rough start this week. The airlines canceled hundreds of flights on Monday, and more cancellations continued today. Some of the major airports affected include Dallas, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.
American Airlines has struggled to recover from disruptions caused by severe thunderstorms at its Dallas/Fort Worth International hub. More than 270 flights, which accounts for 9% of American’s mainline schedule, had been canceled as of Tuesday morning, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. At least 120 of the cancellations were due to a lack of flight crew.
American had already canceled about 850 flights between Sunday and Monday. Close to 2,000 were delayed. An additional 80 American flights diverted to other airports on Sunday, CNBC reports.
Spirit Airlines on the other hand canceled 38% of its schedule or 258 flights, according to FlightAware. That’s in addition to the 500 flights between Sunday and Monday. Spirit said the disruptions were caused by “a series of operational challenges.”
“We’re working around the clock to get back on track in the wake of some travel disruptions over the weekend due to a series of operational challenges,” the airline said in a statement.
Other carriers such as Southwest and Allegiant are also experiencing significant delays in recent days. If you are traveling today or in the next few days, make sure to check your flight status with your airline prior to arriving at the airport.
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