JetBlue and others cancel thousands of flights this weekend
It’s been a messy weekend for air travel with several airlines canceling or delaying thousands of flights due to severe weather combined with air traffic control problems and technical issues.
JetBlue Airways was particularly hard hit on Sunday, with a quarter of its flights canceled by midday, as the airline attempts a “reset” amid mass disruption, according to a spokesperson for the carrier.
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As of noon Sunday, JetBlue had canceled 272 flights which accounts for 25% of its schedule. Another 20% of scheduled flights were experiencing delays, according to data from FlightAware. This comes a day after the airline canceled 15% of its schedule and saw more than half of its flights delayed.
In a statement to TPG, a JetBlue spokesperson blamed the disruptions on severe weather in the Southeast along with problems related to air traffic control.
Travelers on JetBlue are not the only flyers who have faced disruptions this weekend though.
Related: Tips to overcome delays and cancellations
A combination of technical problems and severe weather in Florida prompted Southwest to cancel more than 500 flights Saturday, with nearly 400 more cancellations as of noon on Sunday. Spirit, Allegiant and American Airlines each canceled hundreds of flights over the course of the weekend as well, with 213 American cancellations Sunday as of midday.
Amid the bad weather in Florida, airports in that area have been the hardest hit: Orlando International (MCO), Miami (MIA) and Tampa (TPA) have seen significant cancellations and delays across multiple carriers. Boston-Logan International Airport (BOS) along with New York-John F. Kennedy International (JFK) airports also ranked among the most impacted domestic airports on Sunday – both key hubs for JetBlue.
Related: How to cancel or change a JetBlue flight
In its statement to TPG, JetBlue said: “We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and are working to get them on their way as quickly as possible.”
Alaska Airlines also experienced disruptions in recent days amid picket lines and demonstrations as the airline’s pilots fight for a new contract. After significant disruptions to it schedule Friday, Alaska Airlines was down to 8% of its flights canceled on Sunday.
Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images.