Travelers aren’t the only ones frustrated with the wave of flight cancellations that have disrupted travel plans across the Northeast. An airline executive is also grumbling about the turbulence.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby criticized the Federal Aviation Agency’s decision to cancel thousands of flights last weekend due to the bout of severe weather. Cancellations and delays have affected more than 150,000 united customers, according to the company — and that number is only growing as delays continue through Wednesday.
In an email to employees sent Monday, Kirby says the FAA “failed” United Airlines by ordering flight cancellations and flight delays at Newark Liberty International Airport amid difficult weather conditions that it “historically managed.”
“I am … disappointed that the FAA failed us this weekend,” Kirby said in the email. “As you know, the weather that we saw at EWR is something that the FAA has historically been able to manage without severely impacting our operations and our customers.”
The Federal Aviation Administration oversees air traffic in the United States, giving it influence over flight schedules. In response to Kirby’s criticism, the FAA said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch, “We will always cooperate with anyone who seriously wants to join us on a problem.”
Nearly 700 flights to and from the United States had been canceled as of Wednesday morning, according to data from flight tracker FlightAware. Offers. Of those flights, 68, or roughly 10%, were flying to and from Newark Liberty International Airport, United Airlines’ New York borough. center.
Still, some travelers at Newark Airport took to social media to vent about the delay — and many blamed United Airlines, not the FAA, saying the airline didn’t have enough staff on hand to help stranded customers. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
One person in Newark reported Wednesday that Building C was “totally crazy” with a Nine hour line at the help desk.
“Come here @tweet, 9 hours and counting in a customer service queue at Newark airport after my flight was canceled just before 10pm. I think you need more staff to help sort this backlog…” one traveler wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning.
Come here @tweet, 9 hours and counting in a customer service queue at Newark airport after my flight was canceled just before 10pm. I think you need more staff to help sort this backlog… # Unified
Damian Whatmough June 27, 2023
Another traveler tweeted, “No hotel, no compensation, no apology; just asked to join the +/- 1000 person line to get a voucher or other fake reservation for the next flight and wait for that to be canceled too!?”
Lack of air traffic controller
In recent months, the Federal Aviation Administration resist to carry out its duties due to a shortage of personnel. In March, the FAA issued a dossier notice It warned that a shortage of air traffic controllers at its New York facility could disrupt summer travel. According to that notice, the agency only reached 54% of its recruitment target for certified professional proctors at that location — well below the national average. According to the FAA, workers at the facility provide air traffic services to JFK International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport.
Kirby told his staff he would work alongside the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation to prevent a similar situation from disrupting travel this summer, according to the email. However, he stressed that the responsibility for addressing the FAA’s problems rests with the agency itself.
Kirby wrote: “It is not the fault of the current FAA leadership that they are in this severely understaffed situation—it has been piling up long before they are in charge.” “But now it is their duty to lead and take action to minimize the impact.”
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