Dozens of Delta regional jets grounded for inspection, 150 cancellations expected

Delta Air Lines expected to cancel some 150 flights on Thursday, after dozens of regional jets were grounded and sent in for inspections, a spokesperson told TPG.

More disruptions could affect travelers on Friday.

Late Thursday afternoon, wholly owned regional subsidiary Endeavor Air pulled 45 Delta Connection jets out of service so those planes could undergo inspections on their Wi-Fi systems.

As of 8 p.m. EDT Thursday, 60 Endeavor-operated Delta Connection flights had been canceled, according to data from FlightAware.

Delta said the cancellations could near 150 by the end of the night, and acknowledged “some limited disruption” could continue into Friday.

As of Thursday evening, another 20 departures for Friday had already been scrapped.

“We apologize to customers whose Delta Connection flights, operated by our regional partner Endeavor Air, were disrupted Thursday,” Delta said in a statement to TPG. “Our customer service teams are working directly with customers to find alternative options to get them to their destination as quickly as possible while Endeavor’s Technical Operations teams work diligently to return aircraft to service.”

Delta told TPG that the issue resulting in the inspections is not an issue of flight safety.

Delta, like its top competitors, relies on regional partners for service to smaller markets.

Endeavor operates a fleet of CRJ-900 regional jets that operate flights sold by Delta. The regional carrier operates a vast network of Delta Connection flights out of a handful of East Coast and Midwest Delta hubs, including Delta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) mega-hub.

Across its combined mainline and regional fleet, Delta’s network includes nearly 1,300 aircraft — which means the 45 planes pulled from service Thursday represent about 3% of its fleet.

Read more: Flight canceled or delayed? Here’s what to do next

What to do if your flight is canceled

Delta acknowledged Thursday’s disruptions to be within its control, as is generally the case with maintenance issues.

The airline is offering affected stranded passengers accommodations, vouchers and rebooking assistance.

Keep in mind, when your flight is canceled, you can claim a refund if you choose not to accept rebooking or other accommodations, under U.S. Department of Transportation policy.

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