April 12. If you’ve flown at all since the pandemic, you’ve likely experienced at least one flight delay or cancellation throughout your travels. It may seem like these situations occur more frequently now than before the pandemic.
Data provided by FlightAware shows that, broadly, things are about the same as they were. However, delays remain frustrating. Between Jan. 1 and April 9 of this year, 21.9% of U.S. flights were delayed, which each delay averaging 50 minutes, compared to that same period in 2019.
There are various reasons for flight delays. Sometimes it’s things the airlines can control, such as scheduling and staffing, and sometimes it’s due to random events, such as weather.
Here’s a look at some of the reasons why flights get delayed.
- Weather
- Airline schedules and staffing
- Air traffic control staffing
- Technical issues
There are no easy fixes that can salvage airline operations. Pilots and air traffic controllers are highly skilled professionals who can take a very long time to train. And, of course, there’s no stopping Mother Nature.
Source: The Points Guy
