NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (WKBW) — NYS Attorney General Letitia James is urging the U.S Department of Transportation to address the recent uptick in airline delays and cancellations.
During the first half of 2022, 2.8% of flights were canceled - a 33% increase from 2019.
NYC area airports have had the highest cancellation rates across the country. Newark Liberty ranks first, with LaGuardia second, and JFK ninth in cancellations.
Many airlines are advertising and booking flights that they do not have the staff to operate. This has caused delays and forced passengers to rack up additional travel costs.
The Attorney General's office said they have received a number of complaints from New Yorkers who experienced flight cancellations.
In a letter to the DOT Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, James asked the department to implement stricter measures for airlines.
Since the DOT oversees the Federal Aviation Administration, James additionally asked the DOT to provide a list of recommendations to the FAA, including:
- Advertising and selling only as many flights as they have adequate personnel to fly and support
- Providing full or partial refunds when flights are canceled or rescheduled
- Providing passengers additional payments to compensate them for the additional costs they incur when dealing with flight delays and cancellations, including payments for hotel stays, taxi fares, car rentals, and gasoline.
