American Airlines canceled nearly 1,600 flights this weekend, including more than 800 on Sunday, due to bad weather and staffing shortages, the company said.
About 20 of the flights canceled Sunday by midday were at two of the Bay Area’s largest airports — San Francisco International and Mineta San Jose International — according to airport officials and flight tracking website FlightAware.
The American Airline cancellations began Thursday after severe winds struck the Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport, a major hub for the airline, and cut available runways from five to two, according to airline spokesperson Shannon Gilson. As a result, some crews were stuck out of position, further disrupting flight schedules.
“With additional weather throughout the system, our staffing begins to run tight as crew members end up out of their regular flight sequences,” Chief Operating Officer David Seymour said in a letter to staff members, which Gilson provided to The Chronicle. “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.”
A total of 1,591 American Airlines flights had been canceled nationwide since Friday, Gilson said Sunday morning. The 809 flights canceled by late morning Sunday constituted nearly a third of the airline’s schedule for the day, according to FlightAware.
Two of the Bay Area’s three major airports reported an impact from the American Airlines cancellations.
At San Francisco International Airport, 12 American Airlines flights were canceled Sunday morning and six on Saturday, said Bob Rotiski, an airport duty manager.
At Mineta San Jose International Airport seven American Airlines flights had been canceled by late Sunday morning and five on Saturday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. A spokesperson for the airport did not immediately confirm the cancellations to The Chronicle.
Oakland International was unaffected by the disruptions —American Airlines has not operated flights at Oakland’s airport since the start of the pandemic, said spokesperson Kaley Skantz.
Airlines have experienced periodic disruptions since the spring as they ramp up operations from a severe pandemic slowdown, according to the New York Times.
The cancellations came weeks after Southwest Airlines also scratched more than 1,900 flights nationwide, including in the Bay Area. The airline blamed “disruptive” weather and air traffic control problems, with staffing also an issue, the Associated Press reported.
Seymour said in his letter that American will be prepared for holiday travel,with nearly 1,800 flight attendants coming back from pandemic leave Monday, “the remainder” returning Dec. 1 and at least 600 new hires in place by the end of December. The airline is also hiring more pilots, reservations agents and other workers, he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a request for further information.
Jessica Flores is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores
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