Charlotte Douglas International Airport ranks among top 10 for most delays, cancellations this summer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Charlotte Douglas International Airport ranks among the top 10 airports for the most delays and cancellations this summer.

According to FlightAware, data from May 27th through July 27th ranks CLT as 7th in the country for delays on arrival at 29.5%. It ranks CLT as 8th in the country for cancellations at 3.3%.

Delays rank as follows:

1) Chicago Midway: 38.1%

2) Orlando: 34.8%

3) Newark Liberty: 32.9%

4) John F. Kennedy: 32.9%

5) Baltimore/Washington: 32.8%

6) Harry Reid/Las Vegas: 30.0%

7) Charlotte/Douglas: 29.5%

8) Denver: 28.8%

9) Miami: 28.7%

10) Fort Lauderdale: 28.5%

Kathleen Bangs with FlightAware says oftentimes summer weather and staffing issues are to blame.

“Staffing from the flight crews meaning the pilots, the flight attendants, the fuelers, baggage handlers and security people,” Bangs said. “There is a huge shortage globally of workers.”

American Airlines operates the most flights out of Charlotte, which is a hub for the airline.

According to FlightAware, 37% of American Airlines flights out of Charlotte from June through August 1st were delayed.

A spokesperson for American Airlines pointed to weather for recent delays and also said:

“American has taken steps to size our airline for the resources we have available and to build additional buffer into the remainder of our summer schedule. American has 12,000 more team members in place to support the operation this summer than we did last summer, and we’re making significant investments in our mainline and regional pilots. We have welcomed more than 1,200 new mainline pilots this year — exceeding our hiring goals — and continue to fill our training classes with the safest, most qualified pilots in the business.”

The data shows the major airline with the second highest amount of cancellations out of Charlotte during the same time frame was Southwest Airlines with 32%.

14% of Delta Airlines flights out of Charlotte were delayed.

A spokesperson for Delta, shared a link to this message from CEO Ed Bastian.

The message reads in part:

“Crews are being scheduled with more buffer room to help us absorb and adjust when factors like summer thunderstorms disrupt the operation. And as always, we’re issuing travel waivers ahead of inclement weather, enabling you to easily rebook travel if needed without worry... We’ve accelerated our hiring as well, bringing on around 15,000 new employees since the start of 2021. That includes a record number of Reservations and Care specialists, pilots, flight attendants, aircraft maintenance technicians and more – overall we’re hiring several hundred new Delta team members every week to assist you and help ensure a reliable, comfortable experience on Delta when you fly.”

The data shows 21% of United Airlines flights were delayed out of Charlotte in the same time frame.

Bangs says there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

“When kids go back to school the demand for vacation flying goes down significantly,” she said. “The good news about that is it should be a smoother experience and also fares come down.”

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