Storms ground U.S. air travelers as airlines cancel flights

Tens of thousands were sent out in flyers travel Plans were disrupted Friday when airlines cancelled more than 1,100 flights due to thunderstorms on the East Coast.

According to FlightAware, the three largest airports in New York City and Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C. had the highest number of cancellations on Friday afternoon.

American Airlines canceled more than 200 flights or 6 percent of its schedule. Republic Airways, which operates smaller planes to serve American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express, cancelled more than 200 flights, or about 20% of its schedule.

Another 3,700 flights were also delayed at midafternoon.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), delays were experiencing more than 90 minutes per hour at LaGuardia Airport, New York and Newark Liberty International, New Jersey. FAA said Major airports in Florida and Boston could also be affected by storms.

According to FlightAware.com, about 1,200 U.S. scheduled flights were cancelled Thursday. That’s 4.6% of all scheduled flights. It is also the highest number since Jul 25, when FlightAware reported that it had recorded.

This summer, travel has been plagued by widespread cancellations and delays. The travel industry recovered faster than expected, to approximately 88% of pre-pandemic levels by July. However, airlines were unable to quickly increase their staffing. In an effort to ensure that remaining flights are reliable, they have reduced their schedules.

In June, airlines flying to the U.S. cancelled over 21,000 flights. This was an increase of 1.8 percent in June 2019, when airlines forced employees to quit due to the pandemic. However, airlines managed to cancel about 14,000 flights or 1.8 percent in July.

More delays have been experienced — more than 23 percent in June and July.