Spirit Airlines apologizes for the widespread flight cancellations and delays for more than four days. The airline’s issues started during the weekend with multiple problems including staffing shortages, system outages, and thunderstorms.
Spirit Airlines canceled 165 flights on Sunday and another 277 on Monday. And by Tuesday, things got worse for the airline. On Tuesday, Spirit Airlines’ flight cancelations reached 416, or equivalent to 60% of the day’s scheduled flights. And also, the airline canceled 50% of its flights on Wednesday.
Spirit Airlines Apologizes for the Flight Disruptions
Spirit Airlines apologizes via their spokesperson Erik Hofmeyer. He said in the statement that “We sincerely regret the inconvenience this has caused”. In addition to this, the airline said that they are “working around the clock to mitigate the travel disruptions”.
Hofmeyer also announced that Spirit is working on refunds for the hundreds of travelers affected by the disruptions. On Wednesday, Hofmeyer announced that airports have “decreased substantially”. Hofmeyer also announced that their travelers can expect cancellations to drop progressively in the coming days.
Problems by Other Airlines
While Spirit Airlines apologizes for the mishaps over the last few days, other airlines also dealt with the same problems. American Airlines also had widespread flight delays and cancelations. A spokesperson from American said on Tuesday that the nine-hour storm caused the problems in their Dallas Fort-Worth hub.
However, it isn’t just all about weather issues. According to information obtained by CBS News, 231 flights were canceled because of staffing problems. The airline didn’t have enough pilots. This has been an ongoing issue across different airlines.
During the pandemic, airlines had to cut their manpower. Unfortunately, airlines are overwhelmed by the current travel demand. American canceled 283 of its flights on Sunday and 355 on Monday. By Tuesday, 11% of their flights were canceled while 21% of American flights were delayed.
American Airlines spokesperson said that “Our team members are working around the clock to care for our customers”.
