Air travel worsens as 4th of July nears

This week saw nearly 5,800 flight cancellations and delays of another 20,000 across the country, and it’s not just due to the weather. Staffing shortages at the airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration are adding to the problem.

As the Fourth of July weekend draws closer, it seems travel will be a nightmare. Friday (the beginning of the Independence Day weekend) is expected to be the busiest day in air travel since the COVID-19 pandemic, per Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

More than 4 million Americans are projected to travel by air this weekend. 

July 5 may also turn out to be the most crowded as 3.5 million passengers are expected to flock to airports.

To handle the crowd, staff and airport authorities need to be working at their fullest capacity, but that is not the case.

FAA is understaffed 
Airlines and airports have been facing a worker shortage since after the pandemic. United Airlines, which depends on the airport in Newark, New Jersey, suffered the most as it canceled most flights compared to other airlines over five days.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduced Newark Liberty International Airport arrival rates by 40% and departure rates by 75% due to “understaffing” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby claims.

According to an independent government audit, 77% of critical Air Traffic Control facilities are operating below the FAA’s 85% threshold, “with New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and Miami Tower at 54% and 66%, respectively,” according to the report released last week.

5G
New 5G service is also expected to add to the mounting travel crisis and could cause more travel delays and cancellations. Planes not up-to-date with equipment may experience interference with the wireless service, launching on July 1.

Overall
Nearly 51 million Americans are expected to travel by air, road and sea this Fourth of July weekend, a jump from 48 million in 2022. The highest number of travelers will travel via car (43.2 million). Around 4.17 million will travel by air and nearly 3.5 million people will travel by rail, bus and cruise.