Flight cancellations slow in N.Y., N.J. and CT, data says
Airlines seemed to cancel fewer flights Monday after a turbulent travel weekend, but there were still more than 140 area flights called off by the afternoon, according to flight data.
As of 4 p.m. Monday, the tristate area had 145 cancellations. These cancellations included 41 incoming and 42 outgoing flights at Newark Liberty International Airport; 10 incoming and 13 outgoing flights at LaGuardia Airport; and 13 incoming and 20 outgoing flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, according to data from FlightAware, a flight tracking website.
Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks had four canceled flights on Monday — two incoming and two outgoing — “and we are not aware of any stranded passengers,” according to Alisa Sisic, a spokesperson with the Connecticut Airport Authority and Bradley International Airport.
Westchester County Airport in New York and Tweed New Haven Airport had no reported cancellations as of Monday afternoon.
“Our airline partners have been adjusting their flight schedules nationwide since last Thursday, when weather conditions deteriorated in certain parts of the country,” Sisic said. “Passengers are advised to confirm their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport and to review any rebooking options if necessary.”
Just on Friday, airlines canceled hundreds of flights in the area. LaGuardia, Newark and John F. Kennedy airports had 250 outgoing flights and 275 incoming flights called off. The next day, these three major airports had 81 incoming flights and 90 outgoing flights scrapped.
Bradley International, Tweed New Haven and Westchester County reported about 18 cancellations on Friday, according to data from FlightAware.
Bradley also had six cancellations on Saturday. Tweed and Westchester County airports’ flight data for Saturday was not immediately available.
On Sunday, LaGuardia, Newark and John F. Kennedy had a combined 133 incoming flights and 127 outgoing flights canceled, according to data from FlightAware.
Both Bradley and Westchester County each had two cancellations Sunday.
Hundreds of thousands of travelers passed through security checkpoints this weekend. On Friday, when more than 1,400 flights were tabled, the Transportation Security Administration recorded more than 2.43 million passengers. Saturday saw 2.17 million, while Sunday had 2.38 million.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with airline leaders on Thursday to inquire about widespread flight disruptions. The next day, his own flight was canceled, and he had to drive from Washington to New York, he told The Associated Press.
Buttigieg said that he wants to push airlines to make sure they can operate all their planned flights with the employees they have, the Associated Press reported Saturday.
The department could also take enforcement actions like fines against airlines that fail to live up to consumer-protection standards. First, though, he wants to see whether the July Fourth holiday weekend — and the rest of the summer — will see major issues, according to the Associated Press.
Just at the start of the summer holiday, airlines canceled about 2,800 flights on Memorial Day weekend. Airline executives told Buttigieg Thursday about the steps they are taking to avoid a repeat of the tumultuous travel weekend, the Associated Press reported.