TAMPA, Fla. — Travelers are advised to check in with their airline as flight delays and cancellations linger at Tampa International Airport.
Bad weather and failing technology were cited as factors that led to cascading issues across the country since this past weekend, according to The Associated Press. The Federal Aviation Administration was said to have paused operations for some time in the Washington, D.C., area and elsewhere.
And a line of severe storms led to several issues at major East Coast hubs Monday night.
Back home in Tampa Bay, the airport is reporting at least 115 delays and 21 cancellations on its real-time tracker.
"This is a staffing issue across the board," aviation expert Mark Weinkrantz said. "Anything that goes wrong whether it's weather or an incident on the runway creating delays in one place, domino effect way back and forth throughout the system."
The flight-tracking website FlightAware shows at least 4,600 delays and 900 cancellations Wednesday. Airports most affected include Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Boston Logan International Airport.
Walter Fischer said his flight to Philadelphia was canceled on Wednesday. He has to wait until Thursday, but said he worries it will be canceled again due to how packed flights are leading into the holidays.
"I just can't believe it," Fischer said.
Weinkrantz said while those with delayed flights may struggle to hop on another plane to their destination, there is a glimmer of hope come Saturday.
There may be more pilots able to fly come July 1, Weinkrantz said. Pilots have a maximum amount of hours they can fly each month, whether it's by contract or through the FAA limits.
The CEO of United Airlines has criticized the FAA for its handling of the issues. For instance, canceling flights out of Newark and its ongoing staffing shortages.
In recent months, the FAA has struggled to carry out its duties due to staff shortages. In March, the FAA issued a notice warning that an air traffic controller shortage at its New York facility could disrupt summer travel. According to that notice, the agency had reached just 54% of its staffing goal for certified professional controllers at that location — far below the national average, reported CBS News.
Last week, the Transportation Department’s inspector general said in a report that the FAA has made only “limited efforts” to adequately staff critical air traffic control centers and lacks a plan to tackle the problem.
All major carriers will rebook passengers on the same airline during a controllable delay — a delay within the airline's control — at no additional cost, according to the Department of Transportation. Fewer, however, will rebook people on another airline with which it has an agreement. Airlines including Southwest Airlines and Spirit Airlines do not.
And no major U.S. carrier provides cash compensation when a controllable cancellation results in a passenger waiting for three hours or more from their scheduled departure time, the DOT dashboard shows.
Many delays and cancellations depend on the circumstances, so it's best to check with your carrier to figure out what options are available.
People can file a complaint with the Department of Transportation should an issue with their airline arises.
David Koenig, Associated Press Airlines writer, contributed to this report.