American Airlines cancels more than 1,500 flights over Halloween weekend

American Airlines canceled over 1,500 flights over the Halloween weekend, blaming weather woes and staffing issues.

On Sunday, the airline had canceled 793 total flights as of 1:30 p.m., or 29 percent of all of its planned flights that day, accounting for nearly one-third of all of the country’s cancelations, according to data from aviation tracking website FlightAware. Another 31 flights, or 1 percent, were delayed.

American canceled an additional 543 flights, or 20 percent of its total planned flights, on Saturday. Another 407 flights, or 15 percent of its flights, were delayed, according to data.

In a note to staff on Saturday, American COO David Seymour blamed the delays on poor weather conditions around the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the airline’s base of operations, that had displaced staff around the country, according to CNBC.

“With additional weather throughout the system, our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences,” Seymour said.

“To make sure we are taking care of our customers and providing scheduling certainty for our crews, we have adjusted our operation for the last few days this month by proactively canceling some flights,” American said.

After massive staff cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic, American announced that 1,800 flight attendants will be returning from leave on Nov. 1 in preparation for the holiday travel season, with more expected to return on Dec. 1, according to CNBC.