PHOENIX — Travelers faced severe delays and cancellations at Sky Harbor Airport following the Christmas holiday, forcing many to scramble for accommodations.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the number of canceled flights out of Sky Harbor Airport remained below 200.
With most of the nation facing severe cold weather during peak holiday travel hours, it's unclear when travelers will be able to reschedule their flights, but Southwest Airlines said it would take days.
Southwest saw the vast majority of cancellations Monday and released a statement saying in part, "With consecutive days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, continuing challenges are impacting our Customers and Employees in a significant way that is unacceptable. And our heartfelt apologies for this are just beginning."
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A few hours later, the U.S. Department of Transportation tweeted it was concerned about Southwest's "unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service."
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called for other airlines to cap fares to help travelers dealing with cancellations return home.
We have a live look at airport conditions and flight updates as the situation develops.
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Flight data
According to FlightAware.com as of 4:10 9.m. Wednesday:
- Total delays today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl: 282
- Total cancellations today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl: 192
- Total delays in the U.S. today: 15,722
- Total cancellations in the U.S. today: 4,662
According to FlightAware.com as of 10 p.m. Tuesday:
- Total delays today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl: 296
- Total cancellations today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl: 202
- Total delays in the U.S. today: 19,282
- Total cancellations in the U.S. today: 5,141
According to FlightAware.com as of 10 p.m. Monday:
- Total delays today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl: 265
- Total cancellations today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Intl: 272
- Total delays in the U.S. today: 19,866
- Total cancellations in the U.S. today: 5,801
Follow live updates below:
Wednesday:
10 a.m.: The number of delayed flights out of Sky Harbor Airport has crept up to 41. One-fifth of all flights out of Sky Harbor are facing delays or cancellations.
7 a.m.: Sky Harbor is reporting 91 canceled flights and 21 delayed flights, roughly 19% of today's flights. Across the nation, Southwest is responsible for 62% of all cancellations.
4 a.m.: A new day with more issues. Sky Harbor is reporting 75 canceled flights and 24 delayed flights.
Tuesday:
10 p.m.: By the end of the evening Sky Harbor had 202 canceled flights and 296 delayed flights. Southwest released a statement that said the airline was working to accommodate stranded travelers.
6:55 p.m.: On Tuesday, Southwest Airlines released a statement saying the airline was working diligently to accommodate its customers.
7 a.m.: The amount of canceled and delayed flights at Sky Harbor kept increasing, sitting at 111 canceled flights and 31 delayed flights. Southwest Airlines continues to be the majority of flights affected.
6 a.m.: There are reportedly 104 canceled flights and 26 delayed flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor, mostly from Southwest Airlines.
4:30 a.m.: Sky Harbor's website lists 80 flights canceled and 14 flights delayed early Tuesday morning, the vast majority being Southwest flights.
Monday:
7:30 p.m.: Some travelers are telling 12News that Southwest is not offering them refunds, only a voucher or an ability to rebook later.
7 p.m.: The U.S. Department of Transportation tweeted it is concerned about Southwest's "unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service."
2:49 p.m.: "It's a hot mess," Suzi tweeted, she's stuck in LA waiting for a flight into Phoenix.
2:20 p.m.: The Union of Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants released a statement calling their treatment despicable, referring to chaos amid hundreds of cancellations and strandings.
2:05 p.m.: Travelers, many of them Southwest passengers, continue to deal with disruptions, with the airline canceling 2,600 flights.
1:20 p.m.: Early announcements at the airport indicated that upwards of 90% of outgoing Southwest flights could be facing cancellation, but the exact number is unclear at this time.
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