On Friday, the system appeared to be bouncing back. Still, as of Friday afternoon, FlightAware reported that nearly 3,200 delays of flights within, to or out of the U.S. were delayed, while more than 1,200 had been canceled.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday issued ground stops and ground delays in response to weather problems and, in some cases, traffic constraints caused by a shortage of gates at airports, including at Charlotte-Douglas International, an American Airlines hub. Such measures are designed to ensure airports don’t become congested.
In a virtual meeting late Thursday, Buttigieg met with chief executives from several major U.S. carriers and pressed them on what they were doing to prevent a repeat of the cancellations and delays that left thousands stranded over Memorial Day weekend, when more than 2,700 flights nationwide were canceled.
In an NBC Nightly News interview, Buttigieg said with so much pent-up demand for travel, the public is depending on airlines to get travelers where they need to go.
“I let them know this is a moment when we are really counting on them to deliver reliably for the traveling public,” he said.
Air travelers should be able to expect reliable service as demand returns to levels not seen since before…
