Travel chaos on June 16 as thousands of flights were canceled because woman ‘had a heart attack while running to the gate’

THOUSANDS of canceled and delayed flights left travelers stranded across the US over the June 16 holiday weekend.

A shocking image shows a child being left to sleep on the airport floor amid claims another passenger had suffered a heart attack running to their gate.

4

4

4

As of Monday morning, airlines had canceled 290 flights after canceling thousands more over the weekend of June 16 and Father’s Day.

Travel chaos erupted as airlines and airports struggled to cope with a growing number of summer vacationers.

Friday was the busiest day of the year for air travel, the TSA said.

A mother tweeted that on June 17 her 17-year-old son witnessed a woman suffer a heart attack while running to her gate at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in North Carolina.

She wrote: “Several last minute gate changes, 2 flights cancelled, woman had a heart attack in front of him after running to a new gate, was stuck on the plane for hours only to have it cancelled.

“I drove over 350 miles to bring him home.”

The Sun has reached out to Charlotte-Douglas International Airport for comment.

Others took to Twitter over the bank holiday weekend to share their frustration at the travel chaos.

Sharing a picture of her daughter sleeping on the airport floor, Nikki Webber wrote: ‘If you don’t have enough pilots stop selling all the flights.

“I’d rather pay more and arrive on time so my kids don’t end up sleeping on the disgusting airport floor in the middle of the night waiting for your pilots to arrive.”

Another added: “I landed 90 minutes ago and didn’t move. @Delta I wouldn’t wish you on my worst enemy.”

New mom Brooke Osborne said she’s running out of supplies for her baby.

She said: “We’ve been giving her more food and fewer bottles throughout the day as all of her formula is in our checked bag, which is in Omaha.”

Among the airports with the most cancellations late last week were those in Charlotte, North Carolina, a major hub for American Airlines.

LaGuardia and Newark Liberty in the New York City area and Reagan Washington National outside of Washington, DC were also badly affected.

On Thursday, Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg held a virtual meeting with airline CEOs.

They met to discuss steps airlines are taking to operate smoothly during the July 4 holiday and the rest of the summer, and to improve accommodation for passengers stranded when flights are cancelled.

Buttigieg tweeted Friday, “Air travelers should be able to expect reliable service as demand returns to levels not seen since before the pandemic.”

Over the Memorial Day holiday weekend, airlines grappled with inclement weather and labor shortages, particularly among pilots, leading to widespread cancellations.

Delta Air Lines canceled most flights over the Memorial Day route.

It said Friday it had reduced cancellations by hiring more pilots and flight attendants and scheduling crews to adapt more quickly to disruptions like thunderstorms.

Delta said, “We apologize for any inconvenience and delays customers have experienced due to issues primarily caused by weather, ATC and crew resources.

“Delta employees continue to work hard to deliver the operations customers have come to expect from us, and we work quickly to resolve travel issues and get customers where they need to be.”

The airline told CNN: “A variety of factors continue to impact our operations, including challenges with air traffic control, weather and unplanned absences in some work groups.

“Flight cancellation is always our last resort and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience with their travel plans.”

4