Dozens of flights delayed or canceled at RDU over the weekend. Will it continue?
Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled at airports nationwide over the weekend, including several dozen at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, prompting questions about whether airlines can keep up with increased travel this summer.
The weekend marked one of the busiest travel weekends since the pandemic began — a time when many Americans had time off from work for Juneteenth, a now-federal holiday that recognizes the official end of slavery in the United States. The holiday also coincided with Father’s Day this year, likely contributing to the increase in travel.
Numbers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) show that more than 2.4 million people passed through security checkpoints in airports across the country Friday, the start of the busy travel weekend.
The total number of air travelers in the U.S. that day was about 12,500 shy of the pandemic record for a single day of travel, set on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year.
How many flights were delayed and canceled? What caused it?
The almost-record-breaking travel volume coincided with severe weather across much of the country toward the end of last week, as well as low staffing across airlines — particularly of pilots — and the Federal Aviation Administration, the government agency that oversees air travel
The combination of those factors appeared to be too much for many airlines to handle over the weekend.
The Associated Press reported that U.S. airlines canceled more than 1,700 flights on Thursday, followed by 1,400 more cancellations Friday. Delays and cancellations continued throughout the weekend.
Flight cancellations at RDU
More than 6,000 flights were delayed and just under 1,000 were canceled nationwide Sunday, according to numbers from FlightAware, a website that provides real-time flight information and insights.
At RDU on Sunday, 71 flights were delayed and 19 were canceled, FlightAware says.
Delta canceled five flights at RDU Sunday, the most of any airline at the airport, according to FlightAware. The airline also delayed 13 flights, tied with American Airlines for the most delays at RDU Sunday.
Delta previously had the most flight cancellations of any airline over the Memorial Day weekend stretch of travel in May, but reduced cancellations during the latest travel boom by “by hiring more pilots and flight attendants and by scheduling crews to adjust more quickly to disruptions such as thunderstorms,” The AP reported.
“A variety of factors continue to impact our operations, including challenges with air traffic control, weather and unscheduled absences in some work groups. Canceling a flight is always our last resort, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience to their travel plans,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement provided to many news outlets, including USA TODAY, amid this weekend’s delays and cancellations.
Will the flight delays and cancellations continue?
The travel situation seemed to improve Monday, with FlightAware recording just 45 delays and eight cancellations at RDU as of late afternoon. Nationwide, FlightAware recorded just over 2,000 delayed flights and about 350 canceled flights.
As of Monday afternoon, FlightAware shows that two flights at RDU, both with United Airlines, have been canceled for Tuesday. Another United Airlines flight has been canceled for Wednesday, FlightAware shows.
It is unclear whether the travel woes will continue throughout the rest of the summer — though it’s likely they will, as this summer is expected to be a busy one, according to travel experts.
Pete Buttigieg, secretary of the U.S. Departmnent of Transportation, met with airline CEOs Thursday to “go over steps the airlines are taking to operate smoothly over the July 4 holiday and the rest of the summer, and to improve accommodation of passengers who get stranded when flights are canceled,” The AP reported.
The AP reported Saturday that Buttigieg said his department could take enforcement actions against airlines that “fail to live up to consumer-protection standards” — but he will first see if there are major disruptions, similar to the ones this weekend, over the Fourth of July travel weekend and throughout the rest of the summer before taking action.
This story was originally published June 20, 2022 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Dozens of flights delayed or canceled at RDU over the weekend. Will it continue?."
