merican Airlines said on Sunday it had canceled more than 1,600 flights over three days, citing blustery conditions in Texas and a shortage of flight attendants.
The disruptions were similar in initial cause and size to problems suffered in early October by Southwest Airlines, raising questions about whether major airlines are prepared for the holiday travel period.
By early afternoon Sunday, American had canceled more than 800 flights almost 30% of its schedule for the day after scrapping nearly 900 flights on Friday and Saturday, according to tracking service FlightAware.
American’s troubles began late in the week, when high winds at times stopped the airline using all runways at its busiest hub, Dallas/Fort Worth international airport.That made it difficult to get crews in position. Cancellations and delays grew worse through Saturday and Sunday.
“To make sure we are taking care of our customers and providing scheduling certainty for our crews, we have adjusted our operation for the last few days this month by proactively canceling some flights,” David Seymour, the airline’s chief operating officer, said in a note to employees.
Seymour said American was able to put most travelers on other flights the same day.
A spokeswoman for American said the airline expected considerable improvement starting on Monday, although there would be “some residual impact from the weekend”. By midday Sunday, American had canceled nearly 50 Monday flights, according to FlightAware.
