Airline-Caused Flight Cancellations on the Rise: What You Need to Know

Airline-Caused Flight Cancellations on the Rise: What You Need to Know

The recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) shows that flight cancellations as travel bounced back from the pandemic were mainly caused by factors in the airline’s control, such as maintenance issues or lack of crew. This is a stark contrast to what airlines have argued previously: that government was at fault for not having enough air traffic controllers.

Interestingly, before the pandemic, weather had been cited as the leading cause of cancellations. But 2021 saw an increase in airline-caused cancellations, which peaked at 60% or more between October and December 2021. Airlines took $54 billion in taxpayer money to protect their workforce during the pandemic but many still remained understaffed once travel began to return.

The GAO noted that the percent of cancellations caused by airlines also increased among major carriers like Southwest, Delta, American and United. Unfortunately, Southwest had a severe breakdown in their crew-rescheduling system which led to 16,700 cancellations in late December 2021.

This has sparked calls for stronger passenger compensation rules as it appears many airlines are cutting corners when it comes to staffing and maintenance. The GAO recommends increasing oversight of airline scheduling practices and both the Transportation Department and Justice Department are investigating whether or not Southwest scheduled more flights than they could handle before the breakdown occurred.

For travelers looking to book flights soon, be sure to keep an eye on how these investigations play out and what airlines are doing to ensure operational reliability and schedules. Additionally, if your flight is cancelled due to an airline-controlled issue, be sure to research what compensation you’re entitled to as there may be more protections available than you realize.

The sky might still be a little rough for the foreseeable future, but with vigilance and a bit of planning your next flight can still be a pleasant experience. Airlines have no excuse for cutting corners when it comes to safety, so let’s hope this report leads to better practices across the industry going forward.

The bottom line: The recent GAO report shows that flight cancellations during travel recovery have been largely caused by factors within the airline's control such as maintenance or crew shortages