As flight cancellations and delays pile up, airlines may not be back on track until Labor Day
CBSN
It was a tough holiday weekend, as airlines canceled 1,200 flights Friday, another 1,200 Saturday and about 300 and 225 on Sunday and Monday, July 4, respectively. Delayed flights were also in the thousands, with ground stops — all traffic halted — at airports like Denver, Miami, Atlanta, Newark and Minneapolis. And travelers weren't delayed just by airlines and on the tarmac, but at many passenger security checkpoints at U.S. airports.
Overseas, major delays and cancellations occurred at airports like Lisbon, Frankfurt, Dublin and Amsterdam. The situation in Amsterdam was so serious, the Netherlands issued an unprecedented order telling airlines to suspend selling any more tickets between now and the end of July. That almost immediately drove up the price of airfares — which are now sky high. On many trips within Europe, the train is rapidly becoming a very attractive option.
Delays and cancellations are likely to continue, as airlines can't either find workers, or if they do, train new employees fast enough.
Noumea — France's president held a flurry of meetings with local representatives in the restive Pacific territory of New Caledonia on Thursday, urging calm after deadly rioting, and vowing thousands of military reinforcements will stay in place to quell what he called an "unprecedented insurrection."
Kathmandu — Nepali climber Phunjo Lama on Thursday reached Mount Everest's summit in 14 hours and 31 minutes, smashing the record for the world's fastest ascent of the mountain by a woman. Climbers usually take days to reach the top of the 29,032-foot mountain, spending nights on its different camps to rest and acclimatize.
New Delhi — Indian justice officials have changed course amid outrage over the bail terms set for a teenager accused of killing two people while driving a Porsche at high speed while drunk and without a license. The 17-year-old son of a wealthy businessman had been ordered to write a 300-word essay and work with the local traffic police for 15 days to be granted bail — a decision that was made within 15 hours of his arrest.
Zurich — A woman jogger was killed by a naked man who was screaming and attacking people in a lakeside park in Switzerland, police said Wednesday. The attack happened Tuesday evening in Mannedorf on Lake Zurich, around 12 miles southeast of Switzerland's biggest city, the Zurich cantonal police said.
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and appeared ready to do the same with its ambassador to Spain.