air travel issues

Air Travel Is a Disaster Right Now. Here’s Why.

The U.S. seems to suffer from chronic Nothing Works Syndrome.

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“The very first symptom of the general collapse was an old one: nothing worked.” The sentiment is old—it comes from Doris Lessing’s 1969 novel, The Four-Gated City —but it’s hard to think of a better epitaph for the economic vibes of 2022. From the oil markets to the baby-formula markets to the general sense of safety and disorder, the U.S. seems to suffer from chronic Nothing Works Syndrome.

The latest victim of acute NWS is air travel. Around the world, security lines are getting brutally long and cancellations and delays are spiking . The major carriers JetBlue, American Airlines, and Delta canceled nearly 10 percent of their flights last weekend, creating mayhem at major airports.

In an interview for my podcast Plain English , I spoke with Scott Keyes, the founder of the Scott’s Cheap Flights newsletter, about why air travel has been such a mess this summer. This transcript has been edited and condensed.

Derek Thompson: Scott, what’s happening and why?

Scott Keyes: The amount of turmoil in the airline industry over the past two years is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in travel. The 9/11 attacks caused a 7 percent drop in overall travel. But 2020 travel was down 70 percent. Airlines were worried about surviving. That meant laying off staff, shedding pilots, selling airplanes, and retiring aircraft. Now, as travel rebounds, we are paying the price.

Delta shed 30 percent of their employees—almost 30,000 people cut from their staff. American Airlines laid off 30 percent of their staff, through buyouts, early retirements, or otherwise. Airlines were trying to become as lean as possible to reduce those operating expenses with the anticipation that they were not going to be making much money. They also retired older planes.

Those decisions certainly helped improve the balance sheet throughout 2020. But would they have made the same call if they had known how quickly travel demand would rebound? Almost certainly not. They assumed that this was going to be a six-year recovery period, not an 18-month recovery period. So when travel demand started rebounding much quicker than they anticipated, the airlines were caught flat-footed.

Thompson: Why is it taking so long to adjust? Why is it so hard to hire pilots or bring back more airplanes?

Keyes: Being a pilot is not an entry-level job. It takes years of training. There are many regulatory requirements, like a mandatory retirement age for pilots: 65 years old. There are mandatory training requirements for U.S.-based pilots. They have to fly 1,500 hours before they’re allowed to pilot those commercial planes.

Similarly, Boeing doesn’t have tons of 787s or 737s sitting in a warehouse waiting for airlines to come pick them up. There’s a years-long delay in a manufacturing process plagued with supply-chain disruptions, just like so many other parts of the economy.

Thompson: The industry is so woefully understaffed that whenever there’s a storm, or a pilot who calls in sick, there’s no redundancy or resiliency in the system, and you get these cascading cancellations. But wasn’t it obvious 18 months ago that we’d have vaccines? Wasn’t it obvious six months ago that Americans wanted to get out of the house? Why is all this mayhem happening now?

Keyes: There’s a labor-supply issue, not just for airlines but also the TSA. If you live in Milwaukee and you’re looking for an entry-level job, you could become a transportation security officer for $19.41 an hour, or you could go on Amazon’s website and see that there’s a job in the area for $19.50. Would you rather help load and unload bags outside in the dead of winter in Milwaukee, or work in a climate-controlled environment in a warehouse for Amazon? That’s the trade-off a lot of folks are making. Labor shortages cause delays and cancellations. In normal times, airlines might have a reserve crew of pilots or flight attendants that they can call in. But now there is not the reserve in place to bridge the gap. The result is a huge swath of delays and cancellations.

Thompson: Laurie Garrow, a professor at Georgia Tech, directed me to FlightAware, a website that tracks airline-industry statistics. On any given day, it seems normal to have a cancellation rate of about 1 percent—or one cancellation for every 100 scheduled flights. Last Thursday, JetBlue canceled 14 percent of its flights. Last Thursday and Friday, American canceled 10 percent of its flights. On Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Delta canceled 8 percent of its flights. Meanwhile, Frontier and Spirit canceled just 1 percent of their flights in that time. Why are the major carriers having these major problems right now?

Keyes: Today’s airline that gloats about not having cancellations is tomorrow’s airline that’s experiencing a meltdown. I don’t want to pretend that Spirit and Frontier don’t experience meltdowns. They absolutely do. That said, a few factors can explain why we’re seeing higher rates of cancellations among legacy full-service airlines. First, many of the budget airlines like Spirit already trimmed their summer schedules when they realized they didn’t have enough pilots and crew to operate the schedule they had planned. The legacy full-service airlines can suffer sometimes from hubris.

Second, many of the legacy airlines have hubs in crowded corridors like New York, Chicago, and Boston, which can suffer from compounding cancellations when there’s a thunderstorm [which are more common in the summer]. Those cancellations beget more cancellations. A flight from JFK to Miami that gets canceled results in a further cancellation for that flight out of Miami.

Thompson: Has anything changed about air travelers? Are we doing something different in 2022 that is contributing to these delays?

Keyes: Leisure travel has fully rebounded, whereas business travel is still down 30 percent. Now, why does that matter? Because leisure travelers tend to be more inexperienced when it comes to travel. They need more support from the airlines handling their itinerary ahead of time. They might need more time going through security. They don’t remember to take their shoes off or to take their laptop out. When each person takes an extra 20 seconds, you multiply by 3,000 passengers, and these little micro events matter at scale.

Relatedly, the two airports with the biggest growth since the summer of 2019 are Miami, up 17 percent, and Las Vegas, up 10 percent. San Francisco is down 26 percent. Detroit is down 25 percent. Chicago O’Hare is down 18 percent. The business-heavy destinations are down, and the leisure destinations are up.

These changes have bigger knock-on effects for some airlines than others. Historically, the budget airlines have had the leisure traveler as their bread and butter. Spirit Airlines does not have a significant amount of business travel within its portfolio. Conversely, American Airlines and Delta make the most money from business travelers, who are up to seven times more profitable on a per-person basis. And they orient their entire operation around serving those business travelers and fly more to Chicago, San Francisco, and New York.

Because a pandemic came along that crushed business travel, Delta and American and United are now playing away games. The budget airlines have home-field advantage. And budget airlines have basically eaten all the growth over the past three years. Allegiant [flights] are up 17 percent since 2019. Spirit is 7 percent. Frontier is up 6 percent. Whereas Delta, United, American are down.

Thompson: To what extent do you think regulatory policy is making America’s airlines particularly fragile to the sort of problems we’re currently experiencing?

Keyes: One of the front-and-center issues discussed in the airline industry right now is this question of pilot training. Is 1,500 hours the proper amount of air time we should be expecting from pilots before we certify them to fly commercial jets? On the one hand, it’s easy to say, “You can’t be too careful.” Just imagine the attack ads if somebody votes to decrease the training requirement, and then all of a sudden there’s a crash. The optics are horrendous. On the other hand, the U.S. is a bit of an outlier. Most other countries do not require anything near this level of training ahead of being certified. The U.S. historically has not required that level of training. And we let foreign pilots fly to JFK and SFO and LAX without this requirement. All that said, there’s still no quick overnight fix that will immediately get you more flights, more pilots, and a greater supply of air travel. Certainly not for this summer.

Thompson: So when does this end? When can we expect traveling to feel more normal?

Keyes: Cheap flights aren’t gone forever. They’re just gone for this summer. The rolling delays and cancellations you’re seeing are predominantly a side effect of the demand for travel right now. So many folks are making up for trips they haven’t been able to take over the past couple of years, and summer’s always the most popular time of year to travel. By mid-September and beyond, you have less people traveling. We’ll have more pilots and planes in reserve to be able to come in when there is a thunderstorm, or an IT meltdown. We’ll have more reserves to help prevent a catastrophic wave of cancellations and delays. So, bad news for the short term. Good news for the fall and beyond.

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Airlines struggle to cope as travel picks up and storms force delays.

Nearly 10,000 flights were delayed on Sunday, the busiest day for U.S. airports since the pandemic arrived.

By Niraj Chokshi

• Published June 21, 2021 Updated July 23, 2021

Summer getaways are testing the limits of the country’s air travel system as airlines and airports try to restore operations that were decimated by the pandemic.

Nearly 10,000 flights were delayed in the United States on Sunday, as travel surged and airlines contended with bad weather and other disruptions.

Among the nation’s largest airlines, Southwest Airlines had the most delays, with 30 percent of flights running late, according to FlightAware, a flight tracking service. At American Airlines, 25 percent of flights were delayed, compared with 23 percent for United Airlines and 21 percent for Delta Air Lines.

The slowdowns occurred as travel reached new pandemic heights: The Transportation Security Administration screened 2.1 million people at its airport security checkpoints on Sunday, the most since early March 2020.

Several airlines, including Southwest, blamed bad weather for the delays. Thunderstorms affected operations at Delta’s hub airports in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Detroit and complicated efforts to get flight crews in place, a spokesman said. At American, the problems had been building since earlier in the month.

“The first few weeks of June have brought unprecedented weather to our largest hubs, heavily impacting our operation and causing delays, canceled flights , and disruptions to crew member schedules and our customers’ plans,” American said in a statement.

Each of the nation’s major airlines faced significant delays on Sunday, but only American also had substantial cancellations, which affected about 6 percent of flights, according to FlightAware. Citing the bad weather, vendor labor shortages and the rapid rise in travel, American said it would cut back its schedule over the next few weeks to minimize last-minute disruptions.

“Our focus this summer — and always — is on delivering for our customers no matter the circumstance,” the airline said in a statement. “We never want to disappoint, and feel these schedule adjustments will help ensure we can take good care of our customers and team members and minimize surprises at the airport.”

All told, American cut about a thousand flights in July, more than 0.5 percent of its schedule that month, according to Cirium, a flight data provider. Most of the cuts are concentrated in the first half of the month, the airline said.

The cancellation situation improved somewhat on Monday. Delta and United had canceled few flights by early evening, while American and Southwest had canceled about 5 percent each. Still, just under a fourth of flights operated by American and Southwest had been delayed, while more than a tenth of flights operated by United and Delta had run late.

Despite the complications, the rebound is welcome news across the industry, which has suffered devastating financial losses. Only one large airline, Southwest, has reported a quarterly profit since the pandemic began.

But the resurgence hasn’t come without difficulties. Reports of disruptive and sometimes violent passenger behavior are on the rise — so much so that a group of major airlines and unions asked the Justice Department on Monday to crack down on such conduct.

“These incidents pose a safety and security threat to our passengers and employees, and we respectfully request that the Department of Justice commit to the full and public prosecution of onboard acts of violence,” the group said in a letter to the attorney general, Merrick Garland.

The recovery is far from complete. T.S.A. screenings over the past week are down more than 25 percent from the same period in 2019, and corporate travel and international travel, two moneymakers for the airlines, have yet to pick up in any meaningful way.

Niraj Chokshi covers the business of transportation, with a focus on autonomous vehicles, airlines and logistics. More about Niraj Chokshi

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A record number of Americans may fly this summer. Here's everything you need to know

David Schaper

Travelers line up to check in for United Airlines flights at San Francisco International Airport on July 1, 2022 in San Francisco, Calif. This summer is expected to be a record for air travel. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

Travelers line up to check in for United Airlines flights at San Francisco International Airport on July 1, 2022 in San Francisco, Calif. This summer is expected to be a record for air travel.

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, kicking off the busy summer vacation season, and airlines are forecasting that this could be their busiest summer ever. Industry projections indicate that despite relatively high airfares, U.S. airlines could carry a record number of passengers this summer, even though they're still operating fewer flights than before the pandemic.

The coming months are likely to be a "stress test" for a national aviation system plagued by recent staffing shortages, antiquated technology, air traffic control problems, scheduling issues and labor disputes.

After widespread flight delays and cancellations last year, consumer advocates and some within the travel industry worry air travelers could face similar disruptions that will mess up their summer travel plans again.

If you're among those hoping to jet off to somewhere fun this summer, here's what you can expect.

Long lines and packed planes starting this weekend

Travelers line up to get into the security checkpoint at Chicago's O'Hare airport last summer. David Schaper/NPR hide caption

Travelers line up to get into the security checkpoint at Chicago's O'Hare airport last summer.

"This summer's travel demand will be as strong as we've seen since before the pandemic and potentially the strongest ever," says Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, which represents airlines, hotels and other travel-related businesses.

The crush of travelers starts Memorial Day weekend, with AAA forecasting that about 3.4 million Americans will be flying this Thursday through Monday.

Including the numbers of commercial airline flights and those on smaller general aviation aircraft, there will be more than 313,000 flights over the seven-day holiday period from May 24 to May 30, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. While that is just below pre-pandemic 2019 levels, the airlines may actually be flying more people by using bigger planes than they normally would on many routes.

The FAA projects that this Thursday will be the busiest day of the Memorial Day weekend, with more than 51,000 flights forecast.

Among the commercial airlines, United is predicting this Memorial Day weekend will be its busiest in more than a decade. Delta expects a whopping 17% increase in passengers from last year.

Lack of air traffic controllers is industry's biggest issue, United Airlines CEO says

"The airports are packed," says Steve Solomon, chief commercial officer of the Airlines Reporting Corp., which processes and tracks airline ticket sales. "So travelers should prepare to get to the airport early, allow adequate time to get through security screening, through the TSA, and expect to see a lot of people on really full planes."

Solomon says Europe is especially popular this summer, with huge increases in the number of airline tickets purchased for the top ten destinations across the Atlantic, even though prices are up significantly.

"Summer 2022 was pretty rocky"

People travel through the terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport at the start of the Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 2022 in New York City. This coming Memorial Day is the start of a busy summer air travel season. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

People travel through the terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport at the start of the Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 2022 in New York City. This coming Memorial Day is the start of a busy summer air travel season.

If last summer is any indication, air travelers might be in for some turbulence before they get off the ground this summer.

"Things were very bad for air travelers last year. They were as bad as they've been in 25 years or more," says Andre Delattre, national program director for PIRG, the Public Interest Research Group. The consumer advocacy group analyzed airline passenger complaints filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"There were five times more complaints in 2022 compared to 2019 before the pandemic, even though fewer people were flying," he says.

Airlines delayed and canceled a staggering number of flights last year — more than 210,000 were canceled, according to the flight tracking firm FlightAware. "Other than the early months of the pandemic, that's more canceled flights than any year since 2001, when, of course, 9/11 disrupted air travel," Delattre says.

A recent Government Accountability Office investigation found that the sharp increase in airline flight disruptions in recent years was largely caused by factors within the airlines' control, including maintenance issues, technology glitches and staffing problems.

The latest workers calling for a better quality of life: airline pilots

Even though taxpayers shelled out $50 billion to keep airlines in business and pilots, flight attendants and other employees on the payrolls during the pandemic, airlines offered early retirements and other incentives for workers, including experienced flight crews and ground crews, to leave.

Then air travel demand returned much more quickly than airlines expected. Many tried to cash in with aggressive scheduling, but the staff was stretched too thin to meet that demand, especially during severe weather, which led flight crews to time out without fresh crew members to replace them. With planes and flight crews out of place and too few replacements available, it would take some airlines a week or more to get caught up from one series of thunderstorms.

Add to that a new pilot training backlog, and shortages of mechanics, maintenance workers, gate agents and customer service staff, along with technology glitches and outdated scheduling software at some airlines, and it all cascaded into several periods over the last year in which hundreds of thousands of would be travelers were stranded, the worst of which was over the Christmas holiday, when Southwest alone had to cancel 17,000 flights .

Airlines say they're better prepared now

Travelers line up to check in for United Airlines flights at Newark Liberty International Airport on July 1, 2022 in Newark, N.J. Experts are predicting heavy travel this summer. Jeenah Moon/Getty Images hide caption

Travelers line up to check in for United Airlines flights at Newark Liberty International Airport on July 1, 2022 in Newark, N.J. Experts are predicting heavy travel this summer.

American and its rival airlines all say they're much better prepared for this summer than last. They've all gone on a hiring spree, with passenger airlines adding nearly 4,500 employees just in March alone.

The industry now employs more than 486,000 workers in the U.S., nearly 10% more than they had before the pandemic .

Most airlines handled the recent surge in spring break travelers relatively well, and the cancellation rate so far this year is down significantly from last year. According to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics , airlines canceled 1.7% of flights over the first three months of this year, far lower than the 2.7% flight cancellation rate for all of last year, and 4.1% for the first quarter of 2022.

"We are as prepared as we can possibly be," says Nick Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, the lobbying group representing the nation's biggest air carriers. "We've got a lot more employees. We have reduced our schedules and adjusted how we're flying," in an effort to minimize flight disruptions.

But many industry experts warn travelers to be prepared for significant flight delays and cancellations anyway, caused by things outside of the airlines' control.

The FAA's air traffic control issues

An American Airlines Airbus A319 airplane takes off past the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., in January. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

An American Airlines Airbus A319 airplane takes off past the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., in January.

While the Biden administration is turning up the heat on the airlines to fulfill their obligations to passengers, the airlines are growing frustrated with the federal government's own aviation shortcomings.

The FAA warns that a significant shortage of air traffic controllers overseeing the very congested New York area airspace could increase flight delays into and out of Newark, LaGuardia and JFK airports by 45% this summer.

In addition, the chronically underfunded FAA is also struggling to replace outdated technology. The failure of a pilot notification system in January led the FAA to briefly halt all flight departures nationwide, causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations that day.

Meanwhile, Customs and Border Protection staffing shortages in many airports has led to hourslong waits for international travelers returning to the U.S. to get through customs.

Geoff Freeman of U.S. Travel puts the blame for many of these problems not on the airlines, but on Congress and the federal government.

"These problems have come out of years and years of underinvestment," Freeman says. "If the government doesn't act now, the headaches won't just happen during peak travel season and holidays, it will become our daily reality."

Summer air travel tips

A man pushes his bags at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on May 27, 2021 in Los Angeles as people travel for Memorial Day weekend. The Department of Transportation has a website to assist travelers with knowing their rights. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

A man pushes his bags at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on May 27, 2021 in Los Angeles as people travel for Memorial Day weekend. The Department of Transportation has a website to assist travelers with knowing their rights.

Airline passengers who run into problems from flight disruptions to lost luggage this summer can find out more about their rights and the airlines' responsibilities at the Department of Transportation's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection . The site also links to a dashboard listing which airlines are willing to pay for meals, ground transportation, hotels and other expenses incurred because of significant delays and cancellations that are the airline's fault. It also link to a site where consumers can file complaints.

Experts recommend booking flights earlier in the day as storms tend to develop later in the afternoon and evening. It's also a good idea to check the weather forecast for your destination and any cities where you have a layover. The FAA has a site showing where severe weather may cause problems for air travelers each day.

Use the airline's app to track not just whether your flight is on time, but where the plane is coming from and if there are delays there. Book nonstop flights, if possible, so you don't get stranded on a layover.

Travelers who are checking luggage should also be sure to pack an extra change of clothes or two and medications and other necessities in their carry-on bag, in case there's a significant delay or cancellation after you've checked in.

The bottom line for those of us flying this summer is to plan ahead, prepare for the worst — and hope for the best.

FAA outage: Damaged database file took down safety system, grounding flights

What you need to know about the faa computer outage.

• Normal air traffic operations were resuming across the U.S. on Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, after an overnight computer outage grounded thousands of flights .
• The FAA said its Notice to Air Missions system, or NOTAM, which contains information essential to workers involved in flight operation, had "failed."
• A corrupted and damaged database file in the system was blamed for the stoppage, the FAA said.
• More than 1,300 flights were canceled Wednesday and 10,000 were delayed Wednesday.

Over 1,300 cancellations, 10,000 delays in U.S. Wednesday

Phil Helsel

There were 1,343 flights canceled within, into or leaving the U.S. on Wednesday, the day a computer outage halted all departures in the country.

The number of delayed flights in the U.S. on Wednesday was 10,060, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware .

New York’s LaGuardia Airport had 50% of its departing plans delayed, according to the website. Denver International had 60% of its departing flights delayed.

The Federal Aviation Administration said a damaged database file was found as it investigated the cause of the outage to its Notice to Air Missions system. “There is no evidence of a cyber attack,” the agency said.

Aviation warning system that crashed was already a pain for pilots

Kevin Collier

The U.S. aviation warning system that crashed for more than an hour Wednesday traces its origins to ocean-faring ships and has been under continuous reforms for years, experts say.

At least one aviation industry group has called for it to be replaced altogether.

The Federal Aviation Administration  grounded all flights  blaming an unspecified failure in the Notice to Air Missions system. NOTAM issues a near-constant stream of acronyms and abbreviations to alert pilots to a host of potential dangers, from parachuters and bad weather to legal airspace restrictions and flocks of birds.

By Wednesday evening, the agency had pinpointed the problem as a damaged database file, and there is no evidence of a cyberattack, it said.

Regardless of the cause, the NOTAM system has long been a source of frustration for pilots and others in the aviation industry, who say it overloads them with information that’s irrelevant to their flights and makes it difficult to identify actually useful information.

Read the full story here .

More than 1,300 flights still delayed across U.S.

Tim Stelloh

More than 1,300 flights were delayed and nearly 100 were canceled Wednesday afternoon after a corrupted file knocked out a government system that provides pilots with critical information, halting flights across the country overnight.

Flights resumed Wednesday morning . According to the tracking site FlightAware , Denver International Airport led the country with delays, at 111.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina was second, with 95.

The average departure and arrival delays were under an hour at both airports, according to the site.

Nearly 10,000 flights had been delayed across the country Wednesday, according to the site. More than 1,300 had been canceled.

Corrupted file affected critical FAA system, official says

Jay Blackman

A corrupted file affected both the primary and backup systems of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Notice to Air Missions system, a senior government official said. 

The failure of the critical system prompted a ground halt at airports across the country early Wednesday before passengers slowly began boarding flights again.

It isn’t clear how the file was corrupted. An investigation continues.

Buttigieg: 'No direct indication of any kind of external or nefarious activity,' but not ruling it out

Julianne McShane

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NBC News' Andrea Mitchell that "there is no direct indication of any kind of external or nefarious activity, but we are not yet prepared to rule that out."

He added that officials are working "to see exactly what was going on inside the files that were in the system, leading to this irregularity."

"This is an incredibly complex system," Buttigieg said later in the interview. "So glitches or complications happen all the time, but we can’t allow them to ever lead to this level of disruption, and we won’t ever allow them to lead to a safety problem."

The Transportation Department forced airlines to pay out millions of dollars in refunds last year for canceled and delayed flights , but Buttigieg stopped short of agreeing that it should refund travelers after the FAA outage when Mitchell posed the question.

"We’re not for-profit companies selling tickets that the way an airline is," he said. "Our responsibility is to make sure that everybody is safe, and we’re always going to err on the side of safety. ... When there’s an issue on the government side of the house, when there’s an issue in FAA, we’re going to own it, we’re going to understand it, and we’re going to make very clear what’s needed in order to fix it and go after that plan."

Largest pilots union 'encourages patience' as delays mount

The largest pilots union in North America encouraged travelers Wednesday to be patient after the nationwide ground halt on flights as data from the tracking site FlightAware.com showed ongoing delays.

“We are in regular contact with the Federal Aviation Administration and will continue to work with them and airline managements to ensure our aviation system continues to be as safe as possible," the Air Line Pilots Association International said in a statement.

The group represents 67,000 pilots at 40 U.S. and Canadian airlines.

FlightAware showed delays of as many as 48% of flights for Southwest Airlines, 44% for American Airlines and 38% for United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the American Airlines pilots union said he respected the decision to issue the nationwide stop, as it was most likely necessary to ensure safe travel.

Still, "this shouldn't be happening," said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association. "This is a learning moment — but we have to get those moments down to a minimum."

This traveler is rushing home to perform plastic surgery

Deon J. Hampton

Performing plastic surgery was on the line if Dr. Robert Feczko didn’t make it home to North Carolina. 

His ski trip to Colorado ended as his Delta fight from Denver International Airport to Atlanta was delayed two hours. Complicating matters, Feczko, 37, would most likely miss his connecting flight to Raleigh, North Carolina, and push back the final stretch of his trip — a 90-minute drive home to Greenville, North Carolina.

Feczko said that he wanted to feel fresh to perform surgery Thursday morning but that before he left Colorado, he wasn’t sure whether he’d even make it home.

“I’m more concerned about my flight routing through Atlanta,” Feczko said, waiting in line to check his ski equipment. “I’m worried about tomorrow. I have a surgery at 7:30 a.m.”

Canada's air navigation service provider experiencing NOTAM outage

Canada's air navigation service provider, Nav Canada, was experiencing the same computer system outage the FAA did, it tweeted shortly after 12:30 p.m. ET.

"NAV CANADA's Canadian NOTAM entry system is currently experiencing an outage affecting newly issued NOTAMs, and we are working to restore function," the statement read. "We are not currently experiencing any delays related to this outage. We are assessing impacts to our operations and will provide updates as soon as they are available."

Vanessa Adams, a spokesperson for NAV Canada, said in a statement that the outage began at about 10:20 a.m. ET and that power was restored at about 1:15 p.m.

"We are still investigating the root cause of the failure," Adam said. "At this time, we do not believe the cause is related to the FAA outage experienced earlier today."

As of about 3 p.m. ET, both Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport had average departure delays of 28 minutes (and increasing), while Ottawa International Airport had average arrival delays of 32 minutes.

Earlier Wednesday, Air Canada tweeted that all customers traveling to and from the U.S. should check the status of their flights on its website after the FAA outage.

More than a quarter of Air Canada flights — 123 — were delayed as of 3 p.m. ET, FlightAware showed, while 13 were canceled.

A delayed flight leaves one traveler in tears — and out of $500

At Denver International Airport, the computer outage delayed Mine Mizrak’s Southwest flight to Los Angeles and forced her to miss her connecting Turkish Airlines flight to her native Istanbul, where she planned to reunite with family.

Mizrak, a mechanical engineer, moved to Denver last year, leaving behind her mother and other relatives, whom she hasn't seen since.

“I’ve been looking forward to this for the past month,” she said, sitting down in a chair counting the time until her next flight departs. Once she does, her trip will become pricier.

While Mizrak, 25, paid $1,000 in airfare, she said, she’ll have to pay an additional $500 once she lands in California to ensure she gets home because of her missed flight at LAX.

“I’ve been crying, because I could’ve spent that money on something else in Istanbul,” Mizrak said. She said Turkish Airlines won’t reimburse her for the money because the outages didn’t affect international flights.

A Turkish Airlines spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry.

Buttigieg says no 'nefarious' cause found so far

American airlines, delta resume operations with ongoing delays.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines resumed operations late Wednesday morning after the FAA outage, although with significant delays.

At 10:45 a.m. ET, more than 950 American Airlines mainline and regional flights had departed, according to information provided by the airline. 

As of 12:30 p.m. ET, just under 1,200 American Airlines flights were delayed, amounting to 40% of its flights, and more than 180 had been canceled, amounting to 6% of its flights, FlightAware reported.

In a statement, American Airlines said it was continuing to “closely monitor” the FAA outage and was “working to minimize further disruption to our customers and operation.” Customers whose flights were affected by the outage could rebook their travel for Wednesday and Thursday “without any additional fees,” the airline said, directing travelers to its website or its app for the latest flight information.

Delta was slightly less affected than American, with just over 1,000 flights, or 35%, delayed and 58, or 2%, canceled as of 12:30 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware.

Nearly half of Southwest flights delayed just weeks after mass cancellations

Nearly half of Southwest Airlines flights were delayed as of about 11:15 a.m. ET, according to FlightAware, making the already beleaguered carrier one of the most affected by the morning's outage.

More than 1,700 Southwest flights were delayed, amounting to 45% of its overall flights.

The latest delays come just weeks after the airline canceled thousands of flights in the travel-heavy days after Christmas, which it blamed on "operational challenges” following days of  severe winter weather .

In a statement provided to NBC News, Southwest Airlines spokesperson Dan Landson said the airline anticipates "some schedule adjustments will be made throughout the day."

"As always, we encourage Southwest Customers to check their flight status at  Southwest.com  or via our mobile app," Landson continued. "We’ve also posted a  Travel Advisory  on our website to highlight the flexible rebooking options being offered to Customers."

Chart: See the spread of flight delays Wednesday

Nigel Chiwaya

JoElla Carman

Jasmine Cui

Ground stops lifted at Chicago airports, though delays continue

Ground stops have been lifted at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway international airports, the Chicago Department of Aviation said in a statement shortly after 10 a.m.

"Residual delays or cancellations will likely continue throughout the day as a result of this morning’s outage," it said, adding that travelers should continue to check their flight status before heading to the airports.

As of about 10:45 a.m. ET, O'Hare was reporting average arrival delays of an hour and 16 minutes (and decreasing), and average departure delays of an hour and 39 minutes (and increasing), according to FlightAware . More than 200 of its flights — 23% — were delayed, and 39 flights were canceled.

Midway was experiencing average arrival delays of 48 minutes (and decreasing) and departure delays of an hour and 51 minutes (and decreasing), according to the tracking website . More than 40% of its flights — 116 — were delayed, and 22 were canceled.

FAA outage was a 'catastrophic system failure,' U.S. Travel Association CEO says

Wednesday's FAA computer outage was a "catastrophic system failure" and "a clear sign that America’s transportation network desperately needs significant upgrades," according to the head of the U.S. Travel Association.

"Americans deserve an end-to-end travel experience that is seamless and secure. And our nation’s economy depends on a best-in-class air travel system," said Geoff Freeman, the president and CEO of the nonprofit and advocacy group representing more than 1,100 member organizations in the travel industry.

"We call on federal policymakers to modernize our vital air travel infrastructure to ensure our systems are able to meet demand safely and efficiently,” he added in a statement.

Senior law enforcement official: No evidence of cyberattack

Ken Dilanian

A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that the FBI has seen no evidence that a cyberattack caused the computer outage that grounded thousands of flights.

Cyber security experts say the most common cause of problems like the one Wednesday is a bad software update.

What is NOTAM, the system that had an outage causing a nationwide flight fiasco

Most people will never have heard of "NOTAM," but it is the reason thousands of travelers were stuck in airports or stewing over delayed or canceled flights Wednesday.

The acronym stands for "Notice to Air Missions," and refers to the computer system that distributes "information essential to personnel concerned with flight operations but not known far enough in advance to be publicized by other means," according to a webpage on the Federal Aviation Administration website. (The page was no longer accessible shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET.)

The notices flag abnormalities such as "runways being closed for maintenance, ground stations being out, construction cranes that may be in the proximity of a runway," NBC aviation analyst Capt. John Cox said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe."

The notices are written in a specific format with "a unique language characterized by the use of specialized contractions" standardized by the International Civil Aviation Organization, according to the FAA . To the untrained eye, the notices look like a random series of letters and numbers.

“It’s a pretty extensive list that the crews get just before departure,” Cox said. “For this NOTAM system to be out — I don’t ever remember it failing before, and I’ve been flying 53 years, so it really is unusual.”

Buttigieg says DOT will seek to learn 'root causes' of meltdown

David K. Li

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg vowed that his agency will get to the "root causes" of the massive system meltdown that grounded flights across America.

Wednesday's FAA debacle is the latest airline headache that's impacted mass numbers of U.S. travelers. Buttigieg on Tuesday said his department would be holding Southwest Airlines accountable for its holiday season cancellations.

More than 540 Delta flights delayed, 14 canceled

More than 540 Delta flights were delayed as of 9:13 a.m. ET Wednesday, amounting to 19% of the overall, while 14 had been canceled, according to FlightAware.

The airline said in a tweet it was "safely focused on managing our operation during this morning’s FAA ground stop for all carriers."

Fiancé called just as he was about to board flight to reunite them

Henry Austin

After six weeks apart, Wyatt Cosich was about to board the plane taking him home to see his fiancé, Samantha Martinez, when she called and told him about thousands of flights being grounded.

Cosich, 22, told NBC News by telephone Wednesday that he was lining up to get on the plane at San Antonio International Airport, set to take off at 6:15 a.m. local time (7:15 a.m. ET), when Martinez, 23, said they would have to be separated for a little while longer.

“I was really looking forward to seeing her,” Cosich said of Martinez, adding that he had traveled to Texas from their home in Newton, North Carolina, for a job opportunity. He added the pair were getting married Sept. 9.

“There about five gates and around 200 to 300 people here,” he said, adding that airport staff had been providing regular updates to passengers, although most of the time they had been saying, “no more news.”

Unlike some passengers who he said had been getting frustrated with the delays, Cosich said he was calm and while it was unclear when and how he would get home, he praised the airport staff for their professionalism: “They’ve been great.”

FAA says ground stop has been lifted

Jason Abbruzzese

American Airlines: 'We're closely monitoring the situation'

American Airlines — which had just over 100 of its flights canceled and nearly 300 delayed as of 8:20 a.m. ET, according to the flight tracker FlightAware — said in a tweet just before 8 a.m. ET that it is "closely monitoring the situation and working with the FAA to minimize customer disruptions."

FAA says some departures resuming from Atlanta and Newark

Photo: the departures board at ronald reagan airport in washington.

Expert: Domestic flights won't be back to normal until Thursday or Friday

NBC aviation analyst Capt. John Cox said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that domestic flights won't return to their normal schedules until Thursday or Friday given the "domino effect" of the delays and cancellations caused by the nationwide computer outage.

"There's a domino effect to this — airplanes move around the world, and consequently, as an example, an airplane that's trapped in New York, in four hours, is expected to be in Los Angeles, in five hours. And so the people in Los Angeles that are depending on that airplane, their flight will be either delayed or canceled, and the airplane would then say, 'Go to Hawaii, and then come back,'" he said. "So you've got all of these airplanes moving around throughout the day."

"I think it'll certainly be tomorrow at the earliest, and potentially the day after, before the system's back to 100%," Cox added.

2,512 flights to or out of the U.S. delayed, flight-tracking site says

The tracking website FlightAware reported that 2,512 flights had been delayed leaving or entering the United States by 7:56 a.m. Wednesday.

Total cancellations stood at 254.

White House: No evidence of cyberattack right now but DOT doing 'full investigation'

All american airlines flights from paris delayed, airport operator says.

All American Airlines flights from Paris have been delayed until further notice, Groupe ADP, an international airport operator based in the French capital, told NBC News on Wednesday.

Air France, meanwhile, said its flights from the U.S. were going ahead as planned and were not affected by the FAA notice, and it understood that the problems with the system would be fixed soon.

United delays domestic flights until 9 a.m. ET

United Airlines said in a statement Wednesday it had temporarily delayed all domestic flights until at least 9 a.m. ET.

"The FAA system that sends out important real-time flight hazards and restrictions to all commercial airline pilots — Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) — is currently suffering a nationwide outage. United has temporarily delayed all domestic flights and will issue an update when we learn more from the FAA."

In a tweet, Southwest Airlines urged customers to check the status of their flights in the Southwest app or on its website.

FAA pauses all domestic departures until 9 a.m. ET

Flight radar shows aircraft over the united states at 7 a.m. et.

Sec. Buttigieg tweets he's been in touch with FAA

Hundreds of flights already affected.

Chantal Da Silva

About 760 flights within, into and out of the U.S. were delayed as of around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to online flight tracker  FlightAware . Around 90 flights were listed as canceled.

“Operations across the National Airspace System are affected,” the FAA said in a statement.

“The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now,” it said.

Click here to read the full article.

FAA still working to restore computer system

• International

Flights delayed across the US after FAA system outage

By Aditi Sangal , Adrienne Vogt , Mike Hayes, Elise Hammond and Tori B. Powell, CNN

More than 8,000 US flights delayed and over 1,200 canceled so far today

Delays and cancellations at airports across the US are still climbing following an outage in the Federal Administration Aviation's Notice to Air Missions system .

So far, 8,116 flights within, into or from the US have been delayed on Wednesday, and 1,213 flights were canceled, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.

Airports have been advising travelers to check with their airlines to see their latest flight status.

American Airlines is actually having a worse day than Southwest by one measure

From CNN's Chris Isidore and Pete Muntean

Southwest, which canceled tens of thousands of flights after Christmas following a systemwide meltdown, was hit hard on Wednesday after a Federal Aviation Administration system outage, with 377 canceled flights.

About 9% of Southwest flights are canceled and 47% of flights are delayed.

The airline said mid-morning Wednesday that operations have resumed.

"As a result of the FAA's outage, we anticipate some schedule adjustments will be made throughout the day," Southwest said in a statement, encouraging travelers to check their flight status online or via the airline's app. Southwest has also issued a waiver allowing travelers to change their flights.

American Airlines was hit even harder by one measure: Including feeder airlines that use regional jets, American said it has canceled nearly 400 flights as of midday Wednesday.

While the Wednesday's flight cancellations at Southwest are a problem for its customers, it was nowhere near as bad as what it experienced from Dec. 21 through Dec. 29, when more than 16,700 flights, or nearly half of its scheduled, had to be canceled due to lack of available staff.

Buttigieg says there is no evidence of cyberattack, but also won't rule it out

From CNN's Greg Wallace

There is no evidence yet that Wednesday’s air travel technology meltdown resulted from a cyberattack, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said, but he added that he also wouldn’t rule it out. 

“There’s been no direct evidence or indication of that, but we are also not going rule that out until we have a clear and better understanding of what’s taken place,” Buttigieg said in an interview with CNN.  

Buttigieg, who has been hard on airlines over their staffing and technology issues in the last year, said the Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration would “own” responsibility for their failures. 

He said the dramatic nationwide ground stop of departing flights was out of an “abundance of caution.”

The “FAA will always act to make sure that passengers are safe,” he said. “Part of what you saw this morning was an act of caution to be sure – until it was 100% airtight that the system was working properly even just delivering messages – that we had that ground stop,” he said.  

Buttigieg defends FAA's decision to ground flights after system outage

From CNN's Shawna Mizelle

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg defended the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision Wednesday morning to ground flights nationwide following a safety system outage, saying it was “the right call” but acknowledging that “these kinds of disruptions should not happen.”

“And my primary interest, now that we've gotten through the immediate disruptions of the morning, is understanding exactly how this was possible and what steps are needed to make sure it doesn't happen again,” Buttigieg told CNN’s Kate Bolduan on “At This Hour.”

Buttigieg cited irregularities with the FAA system that relays safety messages out to airports, aircraft and airlines and said the flight halt was put in place to ensure the system was working correctly.

Transportation secretary says it's the right time to review the FAA's technology

US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was asked on CNN this morning if today's outage is an indication that the FAA's system is out of date. He responded said that is one of the "key questions" officials need to look at based on what happened overnight.

Following a failure of the Federal Aviation Administration's Notice to Air Missions or NOTAM system , more than 6,700 flights within, into or from the US have been delayed so far on Wednesday, with more than 1,000 cancellations, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.

The number of cancellations and delays has continued to climb despite the agency lifting a ground stop that it issued earlier Wednesday morning following the outage to the system that provides pilots with notices they need before flying.

Rep. Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Wednesday that the failure of Federal Aviation Administration's Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system “begs the question about the current state of the technology infrastructure at the FAA.”

Asked about the comments, Buttigieg said he welcomed the attention from Congress, especially because the US is nearing the time period when it needs to renew funding for the FAA.

More than 6,700 US flights delayed and over 1,000 canceled so far

Delays and cancellations are stacking up at airports across the country following an outage in the Federal Administration Aviation's Notice to Air Missions system.

More than 6,700 flights within, into or from the US have been delayed so far on Wednesday, with more than 1,000 cancellations, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.

Airports have been advising travelers to check with individuals airlines to see their latest flight status.

Sen. Cruz calls for FAA reforms in wake of outage

From CNN's Betsy Klein

Sen. Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, called for congressional reforms to the Federal Aviation Administration in the wake of the outage Wednesday.

“The flying public deserves safety in the sky. The FAA���s inability to keep an important safety system up and running is completely unacceptable and just the latest example of dysfunction within the Department of Transportation. The administration needs to explain to Congress what happened, and Congress should enact reforms in this year’s FAA reauthorization legislation. This incident also highlights why the public needs a competent, proven leader with substantive aviation experience leading the FAA,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, who chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said the panel will look into the causes behind the outage, noting in a statement that the "public needs a resilient air transportation system.”

The agency has been operating without a permanent leader since March. President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the organization, Phillip Washington, hasn’t even received a confirmation hearing.

CNN's Ted Barrett contributed reporting to this post.

FAA is currently operating without a permanent leader as Biden's nominee faces criticism

From CNN's Kevin Liptak

As the Federal Aviation Administration scrambled to get its systems back online Wednesday, causing nationwide delays in air traffic, the agency was operating without a permanent leader. 

That’s because President Joe Biden’s nominee to head the organization, Phillip Washington , hasn’t even received a confirmation hearing.

Washington is currently the CEO of the Denver International Airport, his first major leadership role solely focused on aviation. He previously held leadership roles at municipal transit organizations, including in Denver and Los Angeles, focused on bus and rail lines.

He has faced questions about his limited aviation experience and in September, was named in a search warrant issued as part of a political corruption investigation in Los Angeles. It sought more information related to potential favoritism in the awarding of contracts by the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority.

Because his nomination wasn’t acted upon during the last Congress, Biden faced a choice this month of whether to resubmit his name for consideration or identify a new nominee.  Biden renominated Washington last week, signaling the administration’s continued support for him. But it remains unclear when he will receive a hearing.

The FAA has been without a permanent administrator since March, when the Trump-nominated Stephen Dickson stepped down midway through his five-year term. Bill Nolan, the agency’s top safety official, was named acting director in April.

Ground stop for Chicago airports lifted

From CNN's Paul P. Murphy

After the Federal Aviation Administration system experienced an outage this morning, both O'Hare International and Midway International airports lifted their ground stop for all inbound and outbound flights.

"Residual delays or cancellations will likely continue throughout the day as a result of this morning's outage," according to a tweet from O'Hare.

Average delays for O'Hare are currently about 50 mins, while Midway delays are averaging about 75 minutes, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

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Airlines tried shifting blame, but they’re the biggest cause of delays

After faulting air traffic controllers for delays and cancellations, airline industry leaders are now taking a more conciliatory tone.

Airline executives, under a barrage of criticism from the public, lawmakers and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have sought to shift blame for flight troubles this summer onto the nation’s air traffic control system. But federal data shows that airlines themselves are the biggest reason for delays in recent months and bear responsibility for an unusually high share of cancellations.

The numbers, reported by airlines and released this past week by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, also confirm the experiences of many passengers: 2022 has been a rough year for air travel. Federal transportation officials say 88,161 flights were canceled through May — the second-most in the first five months of a year since 1988, topped only by 2020 during the emergence of the pandemic.

The jump in flight delays and cancellations — stemming from surging demand in an industry that shed tens of thousands of employees during the pandemic — prompted unusual rounds of public finger-pointing beginning this spring. It came as the nation’s airports were recording their busiest days of the pandemic era, prompting unequipped airlines to boost worker pay incentives and pare back schedules.

The industry’s criticism of air traffic controllers sparked rebuttals from the Federal Aviation Administration and Buttigieg, reminding passengers of their rights to refunds when airlines cancel flights or subject passengers to extended delays.

While air traffic control officials acknowledge their own pandemic-era challenges, data suggests that those issues haven’t played a significant role in this year’s airline struggles.

According to the Transportation Department figures, air carriers were directly responsible for about 41 percent of delays through May, a figure on par with last year but higher than before the pandemic. Late-arriving aircraft — another problem mostly attributable to airlines — accounted for an additional 37 percent of delays.

Flight cancellations stressing weary travelers as July 4 approaches

Problems with the nation’s airspace, such as congestion, bad weather or staffing at air traffic control facilities, accounted for 17 percent of delays — the lowest level since officials began tracking the data in 2004. Extreme weather is its own category and accounted for about 5 percent of delays.

As for cancellations, problems attributed to airlines were cited in 38 percent of cases, the highest rate since 2012. But the majority of cancellations involve circumstances beyond the carriers’ control. Weather was cited in 55 percent of cases. National airspace problems, such as those involving air traffic control, accounted for 7 percent of cancellations.

Buttigieg said there are signs that air travel is becoming more reliable, even as cancellation rates continue to hover above acceptable levels.

“What I’ve emphasized to the airlines is we want to support them when they’re doing the right thing. We’re also here to enforce the rules when they’re not,” he said recently. “Anytime there’s anything under FAA’s control, they will work on it, but I want to be very, very clear here: That is not explaining the majority of delays.”

Experts said the dispute between airlines and air traffic control probably reflects a desire by industry leaders to spread the blame after months of difficulties. Senior figures in the industry this past week signaled that they are ready to set aside the dispute, striking a more conciliatory tone.

In a Thursday earnings call, United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby said he had personally apologized to Buttigieg after an internal company memo appeared to fault air traffic controllers for many of the carrier’s tardy flights.

“I think the whole system is strained,” Kirby said. “There’s tight staffing everywhere, and that’s a part of it. It’s not unique to the FAA. It’s everything in the whole economy, and certainly a big chunk of things that touch on aviation are tight.”

Sharon Pinkerton, senior vice president for legislative and regulatory policy at the trade group Airlines for America, added: “We really are not interested in engaging in a finger-pointing exercise. We are focused on collaboration and trying to make sure that we’re all focused on the things that are going to improve the operational reliability.”

There are signs the labor issues that have plagued the industry are improving. Southwest Airlines employs more people than it did before the pandemic. Delta Air Lines officials said this month that the company has hired 18,000 people since 2021 and its workforce is 95 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Summer travel is boosting airlines’ bottom lines as ticket prices rise

Airlines and the FAA routinely communicate to manage the nation’s skies. Air traffic controllers and airline managers meet virtually each afternoon to plan the next day’s flights, with other meetings at least every two hours throughout the day to share updates.

Former FAA administrator Michael Huerta said previous incidents involving tension between the agency and airlines were resolved behind the scenes. In public, both have typically tried to show unity, he said.

“There always is a tension between what the system can handle comfortably and what the carriers might want to provide,” said Huerta, who led the FAA during the Obama administration.

The fact that tensions are being aired publicly “reflects a sense of frustration on everyone’s part,” he said.

Disputes began building in April, when airline leaders sought a meeting with FAA officials to address air traffic control issues in Florida . Demand for travel to the state is booming, with several airports seeing more flights than before the pandemic. Space launches have also emerged as a source of congestion.

Checking a bag is a total nightmare this summer

The meeting involved a dozen airlines, private aircraft operators and FAA officials over two days in early May. The FAA pledged to add workers to its busy Jacksonville air traffic control facility , which agency figures show had low staffing levels.

In a late June letter to Buttigieg, Nicholas E. Calio, chief executive of Airlines for America, said one of its members reported that air traffic control issues were a factor in one-third of the carrier’s recent cancellations. While weather also was a factor, Calio wrote that air traffic control “staffing issues have led to traffic restrictions under ‘blue sky’ conditions.”

In a memo to employees after the July 4 holiday weekend, United executive Jon Roitman estimated that more than half the carrier’s delay minutes and three-quarters of its cancellations were because of “FAA traffic management initiatives,” which had been particularly acute in Newark and Florida. And while he acknowledged that many of those delays stemmed from weather, “air traffic volume and staffing are also contributing.”

“The reality is that there are just more flights scheduled industry-wide than the ATC staffing system can handle (particularly in NY and FL),” the memo said. “Until that is resolved, we expect the U.S. aviation system will remain challenged this summer and beyond.”

Airlines trimmed summer schedules, aiming to avoid high-profile meltdowns

The memo drew a sharp response from FAA officials.

“It is unfortunate to see United Airlines conflate weather-related Air Traffic Control measures with ATC staffing issues, which could deceptively imply that a majority of those situations are the result of FAA staffing,” the agency said in a statement, adding that while there are overlapping factors that affect the nation’s air system, “the majority of delays and cancellations are not because of staffing at FAA.”

The FAA said there were no air traffic control staffing issues on July 3 and 4, yet airlines canceled more than 1,110 flights, a quarter of which were operated by United.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former official at the Transportation Department’s inspector general office, examined flight delays and offered recommendations on reducing their effects on customers in a 2013 report. He said the causes of delays are complex, adding that it can be “tough to nail down what each of those contributing factors are.”

Even so, he laid blame for the bulk of recent cancellations and delays on airline operations as the nation has begun emerging from the pandemic — a time when demand for travel has skyrocketed.

Michael J. McCormick, an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a former FAA official, said the rise in delays and cancellations reflects a travel demand beyond what the industry was prepared to handle.

“The airlines don’t want to be the one organization holding the blame for what’s going on in the system and are saying ‘the FAA, you share blame in this,’ ” he said. Air traffic control issues are “definitely a part of it, but I would not characterize them as the major one.”

While airlines shed workers as people stopped flying in 2020, the pandemic’s effects on the FAA’s workforce were less severe. FAA documents show it lost about 500 air traffic controllers between September 2019 and September 2021. That has left some major facilities with staffing toward the low end of what the agency estimates is required, according to a recent FAA staffing study . The union that represents maintenance technicians also says staffing numbers have fallen in recent years.

The FAA hired 509 controllers last year but is seeking to add 1,020 more this budget year to help rebuild its staff, a process that involves years of training.

“There are certain geographies, notably Florida, where the impact of covid on our training pipeline really did affect the air traffic organization,” Buttigieg said.

Airline executives have also pointed to airspace around Newark Liberty International Airport as being especially troubled. United has cut flights there to get a better handle on its operations — a process in which Kirby said federal officials have been a reliable partner.

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Air safety: Air traffic controller’s decision-making spotlighted in near-miss files

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Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights

FILE - Passenger drop off their baggage at United Airlines in C Terminal at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, in Houston. The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday, April 24, 2024, to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

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The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to require airlines to automatically issue cash refunds for things like delayed flights and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation.

The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays.

Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.

Airlines still will be allowed to offer another flight or a travel credit instead, but consumers can reject the offer.

The rule will also apply to refunds of checked-bag fees if the bag isn’t delivered within 12 hours for domestic flights or 15 to 30 hours for international flights. And it will apply to fees for things such as seat selection or an internet connection if the airline fails to provide the service.

Complaints about refunds skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines canceled flights and, even when they didn’t, many people didn’t feel safe sharing a plane cabin with other passengers.

Airlines for America, a trade group for large U.S. carriers, noted that refund complaints to the Transportation Department have fallen sharply since mid-2020. A spokesperson for the group said airlines “offer a range of options — including fully refundable fares — to increase accessibility to air travel and to help customers make ticket selections that best fit their needs.”

The group said the 11 largest U.S. airlines issued $43 billion in customer refunds from 2020 through 2023.

The Transportation Department issued a separate rule requiring airlines and ticket agents to disclose upfront what they charge for checked and carry-on bags and canceling or changing a reservation. On airline websites, the fees must be shown the first time customers see a price and schedule.

The rule will also oblige airlines to tell passengers they have a guaranteed seat they are not required to pay extra for, although it does not bar airlines from charging people to choose specific seats. Many airlines now charge extra for certain spots, including exit-row seats and those near the front of the cabin.

The agency said the rule will save consumers more than $500 million a year.

Airlines for America said its members “offer transparency and vast choice to consumers” from their first search.

The new rules will take effect over the next two years. They are part of a broad administration attack on what President Joe Biden calls “junk fees.” Last week, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that his department will let state officials in 15 states help enforce federal airline consumer protection laws .

The 18 Worst Air Travel Issues And How To Resolve Them

From time crunch and flight delays to waiting lines and cumbersome carry-on luggage , airplane travel can stress even the most nomadic traveler. It's easy to let the hassle get the best of people, but knowing how to manage airline obstacles will help relieve the tension and get you to your destination with minimal stress . Sharon Schweitzer, an international etiquette expert, author, and the founder of Access to Culture , who is also a frequent international flyer, offers some advice on the most common air travel issues and how to resolve them.

Making it through security

To minimize time spent at the security checkpoint, be prepared and travel light, minimizing obstacles to safe, smooth travel. Make the security checkpoint go by quickly by emptying pockets ahead of time, removing laptop from bags, and removing shoes and belts to not only make it faster for you, but for those behind you. Also make sure that all liquids are in the appropriately sized containers before heading to the airport.  Remember to always be kind and respectful to others because everyone has a flight to catch too- not just you.

TSA and long lines

While TSA screenings are an important safety measure, the long lines and extra time spent during bag searches and pat-downs can be a hassle.  Remember that being compliant will get you on the plane faster. Answer any questions the officer may have and be willing to have your bags searched. Any reluctance to do so could cause suspicion and may take more of your time.

Overbooking

Airlines often compensate passengers who volunteer to give up their seat by paying for all expenses such as hotel and meals, in addition to giving them a flight voucher. If you are in absolutely no rush to get to your destination, it may be something to consider. However, if you're one of the ones chosen to give up your seat , but you have to be on that flight for other commitments, explain your situation and politely refuse, all while maintaining an amicable tone.

Overweight luggage

If a crew member at the check-in desk tells you that your bag is overweight and you have to pay an extra fee, kindly ask if you can step aside to take some of your belongings out and place them in another bag or suitcase. Once they give you the okay, look behind you and signal to the next person in line that they can go. This proper airline etiquette will ensure you're being conscious of others' time.

Annoying passengers

If you have a small disagreement with another passenger , first try to resolve it among yourselves. If the problem escalates or continues, ask the flight attendant for assistance. In manners such as putting your tray up and down, turning off you phone or any other flight procedure, you should not question the crew. However, if there is a customer service concern, you can politely speak to the head staff

Crying kids

Crying infants should be tolerated; the mother wants them to stop crying way more than you do. Refrain from giving the parents long glares – they know their child is being loud and your stare won't stop it.  In the case of older children, try blocking them out with headphones or earmuffs before talking to the parents if the problem persists.

Uncomfortable seating situation

You have a right to be comfortable, and issues such as seat-kicking, inconsiderate neighbors, and loud media should be addressed by a flight attendant . The staff is trained on how to deal with these problems in the most inoffensive way possible. Tell a member of the crew about your problem and they will take care of it.

Trying to sleep

Certain methods can do the job, in case you can't afford to upgrade, and you can trick your body into sleeping — and people  into not disturbing you . Some of the hacks may be obvious — no coffee, alcohol, or junk food. Others, such as grapping a  sleep-inducing snack  or not picking a seat in the front of the plane, are  often overlooked . Don't be shy, and recline your seat as much as possible; cover your face to block all kinds of light  affecting the body's ability  to produce melatonin; make sure you're  hydrated enough ; and forget about entertaining yourself with the small screens in front of you.  

Pets as passengers

You want to ensure that Fido or Felix is safe and comfortable, but  some airlines make this tricky and very difficult . Also, advance arrangements are not guarantees that your pet will travel on a specific flight. Typically,  airlines require  pet health certificates that are no older than 10 days, even if the country of your destination accepts an older one. Several general guidelines  will help you make your companion as relaxed and content as possible.

Small children as passengers

There is nothing glamorous about traveling with toddlers. The most vulnerable age is when they can walk but can't stand to sit down for more than five minutes. Meltdowns over toys, naps, food, safety gear,  entertainment options  – any one of these very few issues can go wrong in a second. Staying calm is a challenging task that can be prevented with proper preparation . This often means advanced planning in terms of clothes, car seats, strollers, toys, and even activities during flights and layovers.

Delays and cancelations

You can't always rely on leaving on time. Delays, which can result in missed connections, and cancelations are, unfortunately, part of everyday travel. They often happen without any warning, too. So, what do you do when your flight is delayed indefinitely ?  Stay hydrated, use the Wi-Fi, take a leisurely stroll around the airport, go to an airline club if you are a frequent flyer, and even go out of security. Yes, you can, if and only if you have a boarding pass for the next flight.

Getting reservations wrong

Misspelling a name or a date of birth happens all the time whether it's because of laziness, fatigue, stubby fingers, or a small keyboard. And technical errors are not unheard of. Mistakes can lead to difficulties obtaining your ticket and boarding passes. Airlines can even charge high fees. Review any booking – two or three times, reading out loud – before you enter your credit card information. Sometimes you can even make changes, at no additional cost, within 24 hours. So review that info again in a day.

Rude customer service representatives

Most people have come across a not-so-helpful gate agent. Airlines employees can be flat-out rude, especially in treating delayed passengers. While it's true that they personally can't do anything about a weather delay, for example, they don't have to treat people badly. What you can do about it is be nice. It's hard to be ride to a person who smiles at you and treats you with respect.

There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed.  Each airline has its own policies, according to the Department of Transportation. In some situations, such as significant delays, you may be entitled to a refund, including a refund for all optional fees associated with the purchase of your ticket. If your flight is cancelled and you choose to cancel your trip as a result, you are entitled to a refund for the unused transportation. Also, under most circumstances, if you book a ticket and cancel within 24 hours, you're entitled to a full refund.

Lost and/or forgotten documents

You can't find your wallet, ID or passports. If you are abroad, call the embassy right away. You may even be able to get a replacement quickly. (Make copies of any forms of ID, but also make sure you have embassy and/or consulate numbers with you before you leave.) TSA will ask you some questions that will help them verify your identity. Just make sure you make it to the airport as early as possible so you have time to sort it all out.

Wrong terminal or gate

It happens all the time. The boarding pass says one thing, the table another. Also, some airlines have planes at several terminals ; be sure to check which one exactly. And when it comes to Chicago, for example, don't assume everyone flies in and out of O'Hare. Southwest only uses Midway. Carefully take a look at the information on your ticket and check online for possible changes. Check the airlines social pages as well because they may tweet or post about them.

Inappropriate remarks

The airport is not an entertainment venue. You should simply assume that security staff have no sense of humor. Don't joke about having a weapon, a bomb, or anything that can be construed as a threat. You will be pulled aside at the very least; you may even be detained. Not the mention that all of these shenanigans will result in delays going though TSA checkpoints .

It’s hot in here!

Have you ever had the nightmare experience of being on a plane, which is ready to take off, when suddenly, the flight is delayed for hours but passengers are not allowed to get off, had to stay in their seats with the seatbelts on, and no food or drinks were served, and the AC is not on? Everyone is sweating, getting dehydrated and annoyed. If not, you are among the few who don't know what that's like. Hopefully, this never happens to you, but be prepared just in case. Bring snacks, water and entertainment. Download what you'd like to see beforehand so you are dependent on complimentary Wi-Fi .

FAA lifts ground stop of Alaska Airlines flights after system issues resolved

The Federal Aviation Administration lifted a ground stop that applied to all Alaska Airlines and subcarrier flights after about an hour Wednesday. The order was first instituted because of a software issue at the airline.

"This morning we experienced an issue while performing an upgrade to the system that calculates our weight and balance. Out of an abundance of caution, we requested a ground stop for all Alaska and Horizon flights, which was instituted at approximately 7:30 a.m. PT," Alaska said in a statement to USA TODAY. "The issue was mitigated and the ground stop for Alaska and Horizon flights expired at 8:30 a.m. PT. We have begun releasing flights. Residual delays are expected throughout the day. We apologize for the inconvenience and encourage guests to check the status of their flights on alaskaair.com or the Alaska App prior to heading to the airport."

The ground stop did not apply to Alaska flights operated by regional carrier SkyWest.

Although Alaska said it anticipates some delays throughout its system Wednesday as a result of the ground stop, as of 11:50 a.m. ET, the airline was not reporting any cancellations, according to FlightAware .

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected].

American Airlines Pilots Union Warns of ‘Significant Spike’ in Safety, Maintenance Issues 

T he Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union for American Airlines pilots, issued a recent alert to its members warning that the group “has been tracking a significant spike in safety and maintenance-related problems in our operation.”

Problematic trends include tools left in wheel wells, an increasing number of collisions between aircrafts being towed, improperly closed out maintenance actions with repeat writeups, pressure to return aircrafts to service to maintain on-time performance due to a lack of spares and increased intervals between routine aircraft inspections, according to the membership update posted on the union’s website on April 13.

The alert comes as airplane manufacturer Boeing and several U.S. airlines are under scrutiny following multiple safety incidents this year. 

In January, a door plug blew off mid-air on an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal officials said it’s very fortunate no one was seriously injured or killed, but the incident prompted lawsuits and ongoing investigations. United Airlines has also experienced a string of incidents since the start of the year, including a tire falling off a plane on a flight leaving San Francisco.

Amid the turmoil, a Boeing whistleblower is expected to testify before a Senate subcommittee Wednesday alleging safety concerns at the manufacturer, which the company denies.

The APA said in its statement that issues are not unique to its competitor: “While United Airlines is currently under public and government scrutiny, it could just as easily be American Airlines.”

In response to APA’s statement and other questions, an American Airlines spokesperson tells TIME in an email: “Safety at any airline is a shared mission and it’s especially true at American. Our robust safety program is guided by our industry-leading safety management system. It includes a multitude of collaborative programs—and regular touchpoints—with the FAA and all our unions, including APA, to further bolster our strong safety record and enhance our ever-evolving safety culture.” American Airlines did not answer TIME’s question to confirm or deny an increase in safety incidents.

TIME reached out to APA for more details.

The union represents 15,000 pilots of American Airlines, according to its website. In an update posted online on April 15, union president Ed Sicher wrote that the union had met with senior management earlier this month to discuss identified operational hazards. He said they since secured a commitment to involve the union earlier in a safety risk assessment process and asked to “have a seat at the table for the entire quality assurance process.”

The union reminded its members that captains must comply with all safety standards. 

“While noncompliance in the United States presents certain risk to your career, noncompliance outside the United States presents a clear and present danger to your personal freedom,” the membership update statement read. “Recently, one of our crews had an in-flight emergency and recovery back into a foreign country. The foreign authorities gathered all documentation and meticulously inspected the aircraft status paperwork, interrogated the crew, and demanded they explain and justify the checklist procedures they conducted.” 

The union cautioned its members to put safety first despite job pressures. 

“Remember: Don’t rush, don’t be intimidated, and don’t be pressured into doing something that doesn’t pass the “smell test,” the alert read. “Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it safe.”

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Emirates is dealing with a 30,000 bag backlog as it grovels to customers about its handling of Dubai floods

• Severe flooding caused by the heaviest rain in 75 years brought travel chaos to Dubai Airport last week.
• The ongoing fallout has prompted Emirates boss Tim Clark to issue an apology to customers. 
• 30,000 bags still need to be returned to customers, he said.

Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, is still trying to return 30,000 leftover bags to customers affected by the torrential rains and flooding that brought Dubai Airport to a standstill last week.

Over the weekend, the airline's president, Tim Clark, acknowledged that Emirates' response to the disruption had been "far from perfect" and apologized to customers.

"I would like to offer our most sincere apologies to every customer who has had their travel plans disrupted during this time," Clark wrote in an open letter posted online on Saturday.

Calling the previous week "one of the toughest for Emirates operationally," he said that the airline had been forced to cancel nearly 400 flights and delay many more after storms brought the region's highest rainfall in 75 years.

"Flooded roads impeded the ability of our customers, pilots, cabin crew, and airport employees to reach the airport, and also the movement of essential supplies like meals and other flight amenities," Clark wrote.

In total, 1,478 flights had been canceled at the world's second busiest airport by Friday morning, according to Reuters.

While planes remained stuck on flooded taxiways, submerged roads surrounding the airport left some passengers stranded in the airport.

Related stories

To accommodate disrupted passengers, Emirates said it had secured 12,000 hotel rooms and issued 250,000 meal vouchers.

Despite the chaos and a government warning telling people to stay at home, Emirates flight attendants in Dubai were also told to report for duty.

However, Clark acknowledged that many passengers had been frustrated by the congestion, lack of information, and confusion at terminals.

In an effort to handle the ongoing fallout, he said that a task force had been created to sort and return 30,000 pieces of left-over luggage to its owners.

The airline officially resumed regular flight operations at Dubai Airport on Saturday, but warned it would still take several days to clear the backlog.

Non-UAE-based carriers were still facing restrictions over the weekend. Foreign airlines with more than two flights in 24 hours were issued with a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) instructing them to reduce operations by 50%, Indian news agency PTI reported.

According to FlightRadar 24's data , all arrivals and departures were largely running to schedule again on Monday morning.

The oil-rich United Arab Emirates has become one of the most attractive economic hubs in the Gulf region.

Its efforts to diversify its economy away from oil, centered on Dubai as a tourism hot spot, have helped the country position itself as a major player on the world stage. In a sign of its growing popularity, the number of passengers traveling to Dubai Airport increased by 31.7% in the last year.

Watch: Thousands of bags pile up at US airports after flight cancellations

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American Airlines pilots are warning of a 'significant spike' in safety issues

The pilot's union listed 'problematic trends' they say are affecting the airline's fleet

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A new report from a major aviation industry group is shedding light on just how many problems have been identified in the skies . The Allied Pilots Association (APA), the union that represents American Airlines pilots, recently published a document revealing that they have been "tracking a significant spike in safety- and maintenance-related problems in our operation."

The report , released April 13, noted that "while United Airlines is currently under public and government scrutiny, it could just as easily be American Airlines." It went on to detail specific instances of safety breakdowns and near-miss events, and urged employees not to "be pressured into doing something that doesn't pass the 'smell test.'"

The APA's report comes as the aviation industry, particularly aircraft manufacturer Boeing, is facing heightened scrutiny over a series of safety malfunctions . But while these issues have been well-documented, the APA's report seems to reveal a problem that is far-reaching — and potentially deadly. 

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What did the APA's report find? 

The report cited numerous close calls that could have led to mechanical problems, but also identified issues with employees allegedly being pressured to clear planes. This includes tools being left in wheel wells, an increasing number of collisions between aircraft being tugged or towed, the removal of certain overnight maintenance checks, an absence of certain flight permits, increasing intervals between routine aircraft inspections and an increasing number of items being left in hazardous areas near jet bridges. 

The APA, which represents about 15,000 American Airlines pilots, noted that "just because it's legal doesn't make it safe." It urged employees to "be mindful of the hazards while operating on the ramps and taxiways in congested airports staffed with inexperienced controllers and ground personnel." 

What was the response to the report? 

Days after the initial report, the APA's leadership said in a press release that it had "met with senior management earlier this month to discuss the operational hazards we have identified." The union had "secured management's commitment to involve the union earlier in the safety risk assessment (SRA) process, and we are likewise seeking a commitment that APA will have a seat at the table for the entire quality assurance process." Additionally, the "initial response to our request was encouraging," Dennis Tajer, a union spokesman, said to Bloomberg , adding that the APA "fully intend to do everything we can to assure that American maintains strong margins of safety."

American Airlines itself shot back at the APA's report on its safety procedures. "Safety at any airline is a shared mission and it's especially true at American," the airline said in a statement, per NBC News . American's safety program is "guided by our industry-leading safety management system" and "includes a multitude of collaborative programs — and regular touchpoints — with the FAA and all our unions, including APA, to further bolster our strong safety record and enhance our ever-evolving safety culture."

What does this mean for the wider aviation industry?

While this report involved American, United Airlines is currently the one being looked at with a microscope. There have been "roughly a dozen incidents on United Airlines flights last month alone," said a report from CNN . This prompted United CEO Scott Kirby to issue a press release to customers about safety and led to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) increasing oversight of the airline. A United spokesperson said the FAA would "begin to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities," and would temporarily pause certifications for the airline. 

It is unclear if similar measures will be undertaken by the FAA regarding American. However, the union warning comes as the entire industry faces a reckoning over safety. Not only are United and American now in the crosshairs, but Boeing "still faces high scrutiny as federal prosecutors widen their criminal probe into the January flight" that saw a door plug blow off a 737 Max 9 plane, the Houston Chronicle said. 

All of these factors combined could put more pressures on airlines and Boeing, the latter of which received further scrutiny during recent whistleblower testimony to Congress. Similar to the allegations against American, whistleblowers suggest that Boeing "had been overly focused on ramping up production while also cutting costs," Vox said. However, we "don't know yet what the results of the ongoing regulatory and criminal investigations into these recent safety scares will be."

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 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.  

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