US travelers face new wave of chaos as flight cancellations continue

Hundreds of flights were canceled across the US on Sunday. Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed on Friday and Saturday because of the toll.

The busiest airport in the world, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, saw passengers stranded over the weekend as Delta canceled or changed dozens of flights.

Delta blamed the delays and cancelations on increased sick calls and poor weather. It was reported last week that it would cancel 100 flights a day in July and August.

Challenges with air traffic control, weather, and unscheduled absences in some work groups are some of the factors impacting Delta's operations.

During the recent surge in disruption, the Atlanta-based carrier was one of the hardest hit. The three-day Memorial Day weekend in May had the highest number of flights canceled by any US airline.

Charlotte Douglas, American Airlines hub in North Carolina, is one of the airports with the highest number of canceled flights.

Pete Buttigieg met with several top airline CEOs to discuss challenges facing the industry and to press airline executives to improve service before the July 4 holiday.

Buttigieg said that air travelers should be able to expect reliable service as demand returns to levels not seen before. Buttigieg had to drive from Washington to New York after his internal flight was canceled.

"That is happening to a lot of people, and that is why we are paying close attention to what can be done and how to make sure that the airlines are delivering."

If airlines fail to live up to consumer protection standards, they could be punished. Airline executives told the meeting that they were taking steps to avoid a repeat of the Memorial Day travel issues.

We will see how those steps measure up.

Demand for air travel has rebounded as the pressure on airlines increases. The number of people passing through the security checkpoint at the US airports on Friday was close to a record.

While weather is the primary disruptor for summer travel, the airline industry is scrambling to hire or re-hire pilots, cabin crew and airport staff who were laid off during the Pandemic.

Shortages at the FAA have contributed to flight delays in Florida. A force of 1,000 screeners can be dispatched to airports when lines get too long.