Airlines cancel thousands of flights as storm grounds US travelers

Tens of thousands of flyers had their travel plans upended Friday after airlines canceled about 1,400 U.S. flights as thunderstorms hit the East Coast.

Another 6,300 flights had been delayed by early evening adding more chaos into those weekend travel plans, according to tracking service FlightAware.

It was the second straight day of major disruptions and the worst day for cancellations since mid-June.

The three major airports in the New York City area and Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., recorded the most cancellations.

American Airlines scrubbed about 250 flights, or 7% of its schedule. Republic Airways, which operates smaller planes for American Eagle, Delta Connection and United Express, canceled a similar number, about 25% of its flights.

Thunderstorms were stopping or delaying early-evening flights in New York, Boston, the Washington, D.C., area, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Denver, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

About 1,200 U.S. flights were canceled Thursday, 4.6% of all those scheduled.

Travelers have been hit with widespread cancellations and delays this summer. Travel bounced back faster than expected — to about 88% of pre-pandemic levels in July — and airlines weren’t able to increase staffing fast enough. They have been cutting back on schedules in an attempt to make remaining flights more reliable.

Airlines flying in the U.S. had a bad June, canceling more than 21,000 flights or 2.7%, up from 1.8% in June 2019, before airlines pushed workers to quit during the pandemic. The airlines did better in July, however, canceling about 14,000 flights, or 1.8%.

Delays have been more persistent — above 23% in both June and July.