KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather | Airline Cancellations Continue Across The County And In The Central Valley

Airline Cancellations Continue Across The County And In The Central Valley

Many American Airlines passengers have been grounded for the third straight day.

The grounding comes after the airline canceled more than 900 flights on Thursday, including some in the Central Valley. The airline carrier, which is the nation's largest, has had to cancel more than 2,400 flights since Tuesday.

Many of the flights are said to have been canceled for wire inspections, an issue that has affected both Alaska Airlines and Midwest Airlines as well. The inspections come after a series of safety audits by the Federal Aviation Administration.  On Tuesday federal regulators warned airline carriers that their planes could violate a safety requirement for wires to be properly bundled to keep them from rubbing together and causing an electrical short or even a fire.

Company executives for American Airlines are offering their passengers profuse apologies, along with travel vouchers, to help calm them down. Compounding the problem is the already volatile economy; with airlines currently facing record fuel prices.

Officials say things may get worse before they get better, with the possibility of even more cancellations expected for Friday.