The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said it screened 2.7 million passengers on Thursday, up 32% from 2019.
United Airlines bore the brunt of the disruptions, with about 19% of its scheduled flights canceled and about 47% delayed. The carrier has been apologizing to customers on Twitter for delays in responding to complaints, citing high call volumes.“It’s all-hands-on-deck as our pilots get aircraft moving, contact center teams work overtime to take care of our customers, and our airport customer service staff works tirelessly to deliver bags and board flights,” United said in a statement.
United CEO Scott Kirby, however, has blamed the Federal Aviation Administration for making the situation worse. In a staff memo, he said over 150,000 United customers were affected last weekend because of FAA staffing issues and its impact on managing traffic.