San Jose, Oakland see air travel collapse amid Southwest cancelations
The size and severity of the Christmas-weekend winter storm created havoc for airlines. Airports were overwhelmed by intense snowfall and drifts. Airlines canceled as many as 20% of their flights Saturday and Sunday and Buffalo Niagara International Airport, close to the epicenter of the storm, remains closed Tuesday.
Yet it has become clear that Southwest is suffering a disproportionate disruption. Of the approximately 2,950 flight cancellations in the U.S. by midday Tuesday, 2,549 were called off by Southwest. Kathleen Bangs, an air travel expert at Flight Aware, said the Southwest network is more susceptible to delays because of a larger amount of “short-haul” flights, which create more frequent plane turnarounds at airports.
“Every time they stop, they’ve got to do a turnaround it’s like an IndyCar Formula One pit crew comes out that fuels and cleans the airplane,” she said. “You couple that with weather and so many employees out sick . . . all of this coalesces to create this problem.” Bangs’s advice for travelers stranded across the country: “You have to look at the country like a chessboard.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Unhealthy air hangs over parts of Bay Area despite Christmas fire banParts of East San Jose, Alameda, Fremont and Oakland registered unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups.
Read more »
San Jose: Person dies at Valley Med parking structureSAN JOSE — Authorities on Sunday were investigating the death of a man at a Valley Medical Center parking structure as a suspicious circumstance. Around 9:40 a.m., California Highway Patrol o…
Read more »
Federal Funds Will Bolster Efforts to Reduce Homelessness in San JoseSan Jose will receive over $3 million in federal funding to help reduce homelessness, according to a statement from San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
Read more »
San Jose man, a longtime public HR director, sentenced to prison for possessing child pornGregory Borboa, 62, had 1,600 illegal images and videos on his computer, according to federal prosecutors.
Read more »
All Southwest Airlines flights out of San Diego canceledAirline blamed nationwide disruptions on last week's severe winter storms; by late afternoon, nearly all departing, arriving flights in San Diego were canceled
Read more »
Almost All Remaining Southwest Flights in San Diego Monday Are CanceledSouthwest Airlines apologized Monday for operational challenges at San Diego International Airport and other airports nationwide due to an intense winter storm, promising it is working to recover.
Read more »