ORLANDO, Fla. – The summer travel demand is high and Delta Air Lines says it’s preparing for the challenges attached to that by cutting flights back.
The airline said that between July 1 and Aug. 7, Delta will cut back on daily departures by 100 flights. The service will primarily affect Delta’s frequently-served markets in the U.S. and in Latin America.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Delta said a number of factors are forcing the airline to build more space in their system to keep operations reliable, including the weather, air traffic control, staffing issues and increased COVID case rates leading to unscheduled staff absences.
Any Delta customer who has already booked travel in that time period whose flight is canceled will be notified, and Delta will help them adjust their itinerary. Travelers should make sure the airline has their contact information, and should also download the Fly Delta app.
Also, Delta said it will issue waivers if it has to cancel flights preemptively because of bad weather. That’s the case for this weekend, where several flights have been canceled because of weather in the northeastern and southeastern U.S.
Delta is expecting 2.5 million customers this Memorial Day weekend alone -- a 25% increase from last year.
Problems with demand in air travel have been especially acute in Florida, where flight demand, an increase in rocket launches and the weather have caused massive travel delays.
At a two-day meeting between air travel stakeholders and the FAA earlier this month in Orlando, the FAA said it would work to add more air traffic controllers and make use of more alternate routes to keep planes moving.
Airlines say the problems in Florida are having a ripple effect across the country.