Updated 6:56 a.m. June 30: This story will no longer be updated. To see the latest on United delays at DIA, click here.
Travelers flying in and out of Denver International Airport on Thursday again faced turbulence as United Airlines grappled with 87 more cancellations and 57 delays as of 9:10 a.m., according to the FlightAware tracking service.
United Airlines led all other airlines at DIA, accounting for the bulk of the total 211 delays and cancellations of flights in and out of the airport – persisting air travel troubles even after United officials asserted on Wednesday morning that operations at DIA are fully staffed.
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The delays Thursday pushed United Airlines’ total at DIA over five days starting Sunday to 550 cancellations and 1,105 delays, the FlightAware data shows.
Stranded travelers continued to struggle at DIA and other airports nationwide as widespread disruptions complicate summer vacations.
At DIA, United staffers on Monday set up 500 cots and relied on Denver airport officials to provide blankets for people stuck in the airport overnight. United officials on Wednesday again set up cots in the airport.
“We’re beginning to see improvement across our operation,” United spokesman Russell Carlton wrote Thursday in an emailed response to Denver Post queries.
“We expect to cancel far fewer seats today compared to yesterday, and off-duty flight attendants are calling in from across the country to staff open trips,” Carlton said. “It’s all hands on deck as our pilots get aircraft moving, contact center teams work overtime to take care of our customers, and our airport customer service staff works tirelessly to deliver bags and board flights. As our operation improves in the days ahead, we will be on track to restore our operation for the holiday weekend.”
Earlier this week, United officials pointed to severe weather as a driver of cancellations and delays. Flight crews, pilots, and other staffers were hung up in other parts of the country.
On Wednesday, United officials declared they were “fully staffed in Denver.” Still, the tracking service data showed a total of 169 canceled United flights and 299 delays Wednesday at DIA.
United’s chief executive Scott Kirby estimated that more than 150,000 United customers nationwide were affected last weekend. In a memo to United East Coast employees on Monday, Kirby blamed Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control staffing problems as a cause of travel disruption. Kirby told employees he is “frustrated” and that “the FAA frankly failed us” by reducing airport arrival and departure rates — troubles “compounded” by bad weather.
Ranked as the world’s third-busiest airport for passenger traffic with 69.3 million travelers a year landing, taking off, or connecting, DIA stands out as a key hub as summer travel reaches peak levels. The airport serves as one of United’s main hubs
