A combination of bad weather and staff shortages forced American Airlines to cancel 367 flights on Friday, 551 on Saturday, and 634 on Sunday, blaming a combination of bad weather and staff shortages.
“With additional weather throughout the system, our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences,” the airline said in a statement, also advising that two days of severe winds in Dallas-Fort Worth, its largest hub, sharply reduced arrival capacity.
With airlines having pared back on staffing levels to minimise running costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge in demand for air travel has resulted in numerous instances of staff shortages. American Airlines has confirmed that it is increasing its staffing across all operations, with nearly 1,800 flight attendants returning from leave and more than 600 newly hired flight attendants joining the carrier by the end of December.
Earlier in October Southwest Airlines cancelled approaching 2,400 flights over a three-day period, laying the blame on a combination of unfavourable weather, limited staffing in Florida and issues with air traffic in Florida.
