Flight cancellations, broken water main frustrate Atlanta airport passengers

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - Several airlines, including Atlanta-based Delta and American Airlines, continue to face delays and cancellations amid weather issues and staff shortages.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Monday, passengers who came through Concourse B also dealt with a water main break that forced the closure of concessions and bathrooms on the north end of the concourse. Bathrooms and concessions on the south end of the concourse remained open. No flights were affected.

One of the worst days of the summer travel season was Thursday, as more than 10,000 flights were canceled or delayed nationwide.

While some Delta pilots have said they’ve worked record amounts of overtime, the problems still have yet to lead to improvements.

As of 5 p.m. on Friday, more than 6,000 flights across the U.S. were delayed or canceled, according to Flight Aware. By Monday morning, that number rose to 19,000. Atlanta-based Delta airlines says it had to reduce its schedules by 7% and American Airlines reported a 5% reduction.

Delta Airlines pilot Evan Baach said part of the issue is a lack of pilots to fly the plane.

“We don’t have enough pilots and the company is scheduling more flights than they can fly,” Baach said.

For passengers who fall victim to flight cancellation, the airline is obligated to rebook you on the next available flight. If that doesn’t work, the airline must give you a full refund no matter what kind of ticket you bought.

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