Travelers aren’t the only ones frustrated by a spate of flight cancellations that have upset travel plans in the Northeast. An airline executive also scolds about the disruptions.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby criticized the Federal Aviation Agency’s decision to cancel thousands of flights last weekend due to a severe weather disaster. According to the company, more than 150,000 United Airlines customers were affected by the cancellations and delays.
In an email to employees sent Monday, Kirby says the FAA “abandoned” United Airlines by ordering flight cancellations and delays at Newark Liberty International Airport amid difficult weather conditions affecting them “has been able to cope in the past”.
Click here to view related media.
Click to expand
“I’m… frustrated that the FAA frankly let us down this weekend,” Kirby said in the email. “As you know, the FAA has historically been able to handle the weather we’ve seen in EEA without a serious impact on our operations and customers.”
In response to Kirby’s criticism, the FAA said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch, “We will always work with anyone who is genuinely willing to join us to resolve an issue.”
More than 715 flights to and from the United States were canceled as of Tuesday, data from flight tracker FlightAware shows. Of those flights, more than 270 were to or from Newark Liberty International Airport, United Airlines’ hub in the New York metro area.
The FAA monitors air traffic in the USA and thus has an influence on flight schedules. However, in recent months, the agency has struggled to carry out these tasks due to staff shortages.
However, some travelers at Newark Airport took to social media to speak out about delays — and many blamed United Airlines rather than the FAA, saying the airline didn’t have enough staff to help stranded customers. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Light up @United Airlines, 9+ hours in the Customer Service queue at Newark Airport after my flight was canceled just before 10pm yesterday. I think you need more staff to clear that backlog…” one traveler wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning.
light up @United Airlines, 9+ hours in the Customer Service queue at Newark Airport after my flight was canceled just before 10pm yesterday. I think you need more staff to clear this backlog… #United Airlines
— Damian Whatmough (@DamianWhatmough) June 27, 2023
Another traveler tweeted: “No hotel, no compensation, no apologies; I was just told to join a line of 1,000+ people to get a voucher or other fake booking for the next flight and wait for that one to be canceled too!?”
lack of air traffic controllers
In March, the FAA issued a notice warning that a shortage of air traffic controllers at its New York facility could impact summer travel. According to the release, the agency at that location had achieved only 54% of its staffing target for certified professional controllers – well below the national average. According to the FAA, the facility’s employees provide air traffic services for John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
According to the email, Kirby told his staff he would work with the FAA and the Department of Transportation to prevent a similar situation from affecting travel this summer. However, he emphasized that the responsibility for fixing the FAA’s problems rests with the agency itself.
“It’s not the fault of the current FAA leadership that they find themselves in this severely understaffed position — it built up long before they were in charge,” Kirby wrote. “But it’s now up to them to take the lead and take action to minimize the impact.”
trending news