Airlines face a big test during the 4th of July weekend after stumbling badly over the last two major holidays, according to Associated Press.
The carriers head into the weekend already battling some schedule disruption due to thunderstorms that slowed air traffic.
American Airlines ( AAL ) canceled 8% of its flights on Tuesday and Wednesday, while United Airlines ( UAL ) canceled 4% of its flights on both days, per data from FlightAware. Delta Air Lines ( DAL ) has openly warned customers that there could be travel issues.
Air travel in the U.S. is close to being back to pre-pandemic levels even with fares soaring in 2022. If flights cancellations can stay low, this weekend's tally of air travelers could be the highest since the pandemic.
The growth could stall a bit in the months head with Delta Air Lines ( DAL ), Southwest Airlines ( LUV ), and JetBlue ( NASDAQ: JBLU ) all trimming some flights from the summer schedule due to staffing issues.
The airlines have also blamed delays on understaffing at the Federal Aviation Administration.
"This year versus previous years, the biggest issue has been air traffic control," noted Frontier Airlines ( ULCC ) CEO Barry Biffle.
Airline stocks fell on Thursday amid a broad sell-off in travel and leisure stocks on recession worries.
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Airlines face a big holiday test with travel approaching pre-pandemic level