Airlines blame FAA for flight delays and cancellations as July 4th nears

Airlines under scrutiny for widespread flight disruptions are renewing their criticism of the government agency that manages the nation's airspace, saying that understaffing at the Federal Aviation Administration is "crippling" traffic along the East Coast.

Airlines for America, which represents the largest U.S. carriers, said Friday it wants to know FAA's staffing plans for the July Fourth holiday weekend, "so we can plan accordingly."

The comments from the industry group could serve as a pre-emptive defense in case airlines again suffer thousands of canceled and delayed flights over the holiday weekend, when travel is expected to set new pandemic-era highs.