ATW Daily News Tuesday June 26, 2007 Northwest Airlines, which emerged from Chapter 11 protection at the end of last month (ATWOnline, June 1), admitted yesterday that "crew shortages" are leading to numerous flight cancellations.
It declined to say how many flights have been grounded or to confirm reports that several hundred flights have been cancelled over the past four days. In a statement, the carrier conceded that "recent severe weather events have caused Northwest Airlines to experience some crew shortages."
It noted that "weather and related air traffic control restrictions can disrupt scheduled operations, causing increased crew duty time and often, the inability to immediately position aircraft and crews as needed." FAA has projected that summer storms and high traffic volumes could lead to a "tough" season of delays and cancellations (ATWOnline, May 24).
