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A customer service agent tries to calm passengers down as they form a line stretching past LAX Terminal 5 on Tuesday morning as Spirit Airlines canceled 313 flights on Monday, 40% of its scheduled flights and 210 flights were delayed.
Al Seib | Los Angeles Weather | Getty Images
Spirit Airlines canceled half of its flights on Wednesday, in an attempt to “restart” operations after a wave of disruption that began over the weekend due to a mix of bad weather, staff shortages and technology issues .
Spirit has canceled more than 1,000 flights since Sunday and hundreds more have been delayed.
Angry customers have complained on social media about cancellations and difficulty reaching customer service agents. Some tweeted images of long lines at airports and travelers lying on the floor near the gates.
Spirit said the disruption was “exacerbated” by the increase in summer travel, which has rebounded from the pandemic faster than airline executives expected. More comprehensive flights mean fewer options for booking guests, the carrier said.
“The past three days have been extremely difficult for our guests and members of our team, and we sincerely apologize for it,” Spirit said in a statement.
More than 340 flights, or half of its daily schedule, were canceled on Wednesday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
Airlines sometimes clean up large numbers of flights to avoid further disruption and put employees and planes in the right place to resume flights.
Spirit said he expects cancellations to “gradually decrease” in the days to come.
American Airlines also canceled hundreds of flights this week that began with hours of bad weather, including high winds, lightning and hail that hit Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport, its largest hub.
Its operation appeared to improve on Wednesday, with around 100 cancellations, or about 3% of the operation, compared to 12% of flights canceled on Tuesday.
Spirit said he would learn of the collapse.
“By taking an in-depth look at the challenges we face, we have identified opportunities for improvement that will help us operate a more resilient network and better serve our customers,” he said in a statement.
Thunderstorms complicated Spirit’s efforts to recalibrate on Wednesday. Delays at gates and taxis at Spirit’s main base in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Exceeded an hour, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
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