Media and travel analyst Mark Murphy speaks to Fox Business Tonight about summer air traffic congestion and how staffing shortages are affecting the airline industry.
Travel for the 4th of July weekend has begun, sending airlines into a whirlwind as the COVID-19 pandemic eases and transportation returns to normal.
As of 11 a.m. EST Saturday, there were already Saturday cancellations within, into or out of the United States, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Delays on Saturday totaled 1,745 nationwide, creating a cascading effect for layover flyers.
An influx of people was expected to take to the streets for the bank holiday weekend. AAA forecast 47.9 million people will travel between Friday and Monday, and about 3.55 million of them are expected to fly.
| ticker | security | Last | change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 36.44 | +1.02 | +2.88% |
| DAL | DELTA AIRLINES INC. | 29.52 | +0.55 | +1.90% |
| EEL | AMERICAN AIRLINES GROUP INC. | 13.13 | +0.45 | +3.55% |
| LUV | Southwest Airlines Co. | 36.73 | +0.61 | +1.69% |
Staffing issues and weather, combined with increased travel demand in the wake of the pandemic, have strained the country’s flight infrastructure.
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Travelers check-in at Philadelphia International Airport ahead of the Independence Day holiday weekend in Philadelphia on Friday, July 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke/AP Newsroom)
More than 7,100 flights to, from and through the United States were delayed and another 535 were canceled on Friday.
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According to Airlines for America CEO Nicholas Calio, thousands of flights have been disrupted over the past week even after airlines cut 15% of the flights they had scheduled for the peak summer months — June through August — to make remaining flights more reliable close.
Travelers wait to collect their luggage on Friday, July 1, 2022 at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong / AP Newsroom)
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The increased pressure has left airlines in desperate situations – with one airline paying big paydays to anyone willing to hop off an overbooked plane.
Delta Airlines He reportedly offered passengers $10,000 to get off an overbooked flight from Michigan to Minnesota, passengers claimed.
Travelers wait at a TSA security checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Friday, July 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong / AP Newsroom)
inc Magazine tech columnist Jason Aten wrote that he was on a flight with his family when a flight attendant asked for volunteers over the intercom.
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In a statement to The Hill, a Delta spokesman declined to confirm whether the incident took place, but the spokesman said there is compensation for ground crew if circumstances like these arise.