Thousands of US flights delayed Friday
18.5% of flights were delayed Monday through Thursday
Airlines delayed thousands of flights on Friday, leaving passengers waiting at airports nationwide.
More than 1,800 flights in, out of and across the United States were delayed by 2 p.m. ET Friday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. On Thursday, delays across the country totaled more than 5,000, although there were only 279 total cancelations, according to FlightAware data.
There was a slew of flight cancelations and delays over the Fourth of July holiday weekend as millions of people packed airports around the country. Even though the holiday rush died down, U.S. passenger carriers are still delaying scores of flights.
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A flight shows cancelled on the departures board at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon / AP Newsroom)
Between Monday and Thursday, airlines delayed 18,999 or 18.5% of flights, according to data from FlightAware. During that time, 1.5% of flights were canceled.
It's already been a bleak travel season for the airline industry, which has had to proactively drop 15% of the flights they originally planned for June through August to make the remaining flights more reliable, according to Airlines for America President Nicholas Calio. Airlines for America is the trade association for the country’s leading passenger and cargo airlines.
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Calio said its member carriers also "accelerated robust hiring and training programs in all areas, including flight crew, customer service agents and airport staff in addition to increasing pay for many positions."
Still, airlines reported problems during Memorial Day weekend, which is seen as the start of the summer travel season, and around Father's Day and the Juneteenth holiday weekend.
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"We appreciate the enhanced coordination with the FAA to address a range of shared challenges as we work collaboratively to minimize disruptions while ensuring the highest level of safety for the traveling public," Airlines for America told FOX Business in a statement Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.