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American cancels more than 900 flights

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Story Media
Top Stories

By Carlos Granda

LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KABC) -- American Airlines canceled another round of flights Thursday, totaling 900 nationwide, leaving scores of passengers stranded. More than 20 flights did not arrive or depart at LAX Thursday.

After the third day of flight cancellations by American Airlines, there were many frustrated passengers at LAX, as well as mass disruptions at other airports around the country. There could be more cancellations on the way.

Click in the Eyewitness News Story Window above to watch the accompanying video to this story.

"You want to go to the line that says, 'Group Check-in,' and they'll tell you what your options are," said an AA representative to a passenger.

Story continues below

"How come I wasn't notified?" asked the passenger.

"The flight was only canceled just a few moments ago," replied the representative.

And that's been the story for about 100,000 travelers all over the country.

"I already have my boarding pass, I printed it out at home," said stranded passenger Josh Chacona. Chacona thought everything was fine, but just as he got to the airport, his flight to Austin was canceled.

"They could work with other airlines, maybe. I don't know what they're going to offer me once I get up there, but they could have at least told me not to get to the airport," said Chacona. "And I tried to call them yesterday, and none of their customer-service things are working, obviously."

American Airlines canceled about 1,000 flights Thursday. At LAX the hardest hit were flights to major hubs like Dallas and Chicago.

"At this point, if they were going to pull the flight, they would have done it already," said Barbie Klingman, American Airlines passenger. "Will there be delays? Probably. But it's still better than a connection in Atlanta and missing the flight."

Since Tuesday American has canceled nearly 2,500 flights. It all boils down to bundled wires on the MD-80 jet. That's the airplane with the engines on the tail. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the wires could rub and lead to an electrical short or fire. But it's the passengers who are fuming.

"I wouldn't be flying American on my next flight out, that much you can bet on," exclaimed one frustrated passenger.

The maintenance issue was supposedly fixed two weeks ago, but in several planes, FAA inspectors found faulty spacing in the wiring that controls the main landing gear.

Delta and Alaska canceled about a dozen flights Thursday.

All this comes after officials discovered the FAA didn't enforce the rules at Southwest Airlines.

John DiScala, a travel expert at JohnnyJet.com, said it might not be over yet.

"Right now, it's just on the MD-80, but two weeks ago United did this all on the triple-7, so I expect that there's going to be other airlines checking other aircraft as well," said DiScala.

The canceled flights include 35 at LAX, eight flights out of Burbank, and nine flights out of Ontario.

There is some good news: No canceled flights at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

American Airlines has canceled another 570 flights for Friday, so definitely call ahead before you come out to the airport.

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