East Coast Flight Disruptions: Airlines Seek FAA Assistance Amid Chaos

As thousands of flight disruptions occurred on Monday due to severe storms impacting the East Coast, U.S. airlines have called on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to extend a waiver that allowed them to cut back on service.

More than 8,900 flights were delayed within, into, or out of the United States on Monday, with another 1,768 canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware. These storms severely affected areas from Tennessee up to New York. The majority of disruptions were centered around Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, recognized as the busiest airport in the world. This airport experienced over 590 outbound flight delays, which constituted approximately 48 percent of its schedule. Additionally, more than 500 inbound delays accounted for about 41 percent of its incoming schedule.

Delta Air Lines, which operates its hub in Atlanta, reported the most delays among all carriers, exceeding 1,300, alongside over 440 flight cancellations.

Consequently, as a direct result of these severe storms, at least two fatalities were reported, and more than 1.1 million homes and businesses lost power, according to the Associated Press.

Airlines continued to face difficulties in recovery on Tuesday morning, as over 1,400 flights had been delayed, and more than 300 had already been canceled.

The flight disruptions coincided with a request from Airlines for America, representing major carriers nationwide, urging the FAA to extend a temporary waiver that allows carriers to reduce flights through October 28 at New York and Washington D.C.-area airports, according to a letter sent to the FAA. This waiver was initially granted in the spring due to an air traffic control staffing shortage, and it is currently scheduled to expire on September 15.

“While operational reliability during the past few months has been challenging even with the relief provided, it would have been materially worse if the FAA had not taken this action,” Airlines for America stated in the letter. They emphasized that “air traffic control staffing and extreme weather are unique circumstances beyond our control that merit a limited and conditional waiver of slot usage rules until the system can stabilize. Granting relief for the remainder of the summer season is in the best interest of the flying public because it will minimize disruptions and provide greater predictability for airlines and consumers.”

The waiver impacts flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

The request for a waiver arose during a significant air traffic control staffing crisis. According to Airlines for America, the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control facility is currently only 54 percent staffed.

The FAA informed Reuters on Monday that it is “in the final stages of review and will decide soon.”

Recently, United Airlines announced plans to reduce flights from its Newark hub to avoid extensive flight disruptions, decreasing to approximately 390 flights per day down from the pre-pandemic level of 435 flights per day.

Several airlines have started implementing reductions in midweek service to align with demand, including Southwest Airlines, Allegiant Airlines, and Frontier Airlines.