U.S. Airlines Flight Cancellations in 2023

By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. airlines have canceled 1.6% of all flights this year despite record summer travel and significant disruptions in July caused by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD), according to the Transportation Department.

Cancellation Rates

The USDOT reported that the cancellation rate through Tuesday this year is slightly above the 1.5% cancellation rate for 2023 but lower than any other year since 2017 when it was 1.4%.

Record Summer Travel

The TSA noted last week that U.S. summer travel has set a new record and is predicting record passenger levels for the Labor Day travel period, marking the end of the summer season.
– The TSA forecasts it will screen 17 million air travelers between Thursday and Sept. 4, an increase of 8.5% over the same holiday period last year.
– Airlines for America, a trade group, indicates that carriers plan to offer 3.3% more seats departing U.S. airports through Monday compared to 2023.

Recent Cancellations and Weather Warnings

On Thursday, FlightAware and the airline group reported that carriers canceled fewer than 100 flights or less than 0.5% of flights, but the FAA cautioned that afternoon weather could cause delays at some airports.

Record Passenger Screening

The TSA screened 3.01 million airline passengers on July 7, the highest number on a single day, marking the first time it surpassed 3 million.

Impact of Cybersecurity Issues

A software update by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike led to system problems for Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) customers, including many airlines, resulting in thousands of flight cancellations. Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) reported about 7,000 flight cancellations over five days, affecting 1.3 million customers, and its recovery took significantly longer than other carriers.

Air Traffic Controller Shortages

The FAA is addressing ongoing shortages of air traffic controllers. In June, the FAA extended cuts to minimum flight requirements at congested New York City-area airports through October 2025 due to staffing issues. Last month, the FAA required 12 air traffic controllers in New York to relocate to Philadelphia for up to two years to manage some airspace responsibilities.