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American Airlines cancels hundreds of flights

"They were overambitious in trying to rebuild the airline after the pandemic."

WASHINGTON — American Airlines is cutting back on flights until July after canceling hundreds of flights over the weekend. Flight cancellations locally have been seen at Regan National Airpot, which is a hub for American Airlines flights.

Only about 1% of flights should be affected, but that can be upwards of 50 to 80 cancellations a day.

The company blames staffing shortages and maintenance, among other issues.

"So, American is canceling these flights, because, they were overambitious in trying to rebuild the airline after the pandemic," said Henry H. Harteveldt, President, Atmosphere Research Group.

So what may be the root cause for this miscalculation? Airline pilot furloughs and the training needed before these flying professionals can be put back in the cockpit for a commercial flight.

"When pilots don't fly for a while, the FAA says, they have to go back into training ... and be recertified. Just to make sure their skills are tip-top, said Harteveldt."

Harteveldt cautions that to avoid issues, people should check their flights up to 72 hours in advance to make sure they are ahead of these cancellations that American Airlines is doing over the next month.

"Starting within 72 hours of your flight, just check to make sure it's still operating, that your connection, if you've got one, is still good," said Harteveldt.

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