Southwest Airlines Passengers In Denver Left Frustrated With Slew Of Delays & Cancelations
UPDATE: Southwest Airlines Passengers In Denver Fed Up With Delays & Cancellations
DENVER (CBS4) - Many Southwest Airlines passengers were left frustrated over the weekend after hundreds of flights were canceled at Denver International Airport and across the country. The airline says it had to cancel and delay flights because of air traffic control issues and bad weather.
Wind speeds reached 100 mph in parts of Colorado on Saturday.
ATC issues and disruptive weather have resulted in a high volume of cancellations throughout the weekend while we work to recover our operation. We appreciate your patience as we accommodate affected Customers, and Customer Service wait times are longer than usual. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/o1scQJ5lLb
— Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) October 9, 2021
The FAA says no air traffic staffing shortages have been reported since Friday. On Twitter, the agency went on to say, "Some airlines continue to experience scheduling challenges due to aircraft and crews being out of place."
No FAA air traffic staffing shortages have been reported since Friday.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) October 10, 2021
Flight delays & cancellations occurred for a few hours Friday PM due to widespread severe weather, military training, & limited staffing in one area of the Jacksonville en route center.
(1/2)
One passenger told CBS4's Michael Abeyta he heard rumors of crew issues.
On Sunday morning, Flight Aware reported a total of 53 delays Southwest flights at DIA and a total of 157 cancelations on Sunday alone.
A few people standing in line to reschedule their flights told CBS4 they were already at DIA waiting to board when their flight was delayed and then ultimately canceled.
"My husband's very angry. I'm just trying to roll with it. I'm a little concerned that my bag will get lost, but hopefully it will all work out, and we can try to either find another ticket from another airline," said Tara Anderson.
An airline spokesperson says they worked to re-book passengers on other flights. They add travelers should expect wait times to be longer than usual.
A pilot union representing American Airlines recently told CBS News staffing shortages could start affected holiday travel.
DIA faced additional problems regarding lack of parking on Saturday.