Alaska Airlines cancels 9% of its flights over staffing woes

By GILLIAN FLACCUS
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Alaska Airlines canceled dozens of U.S. West Coast flights Friday as off-duty pilots picketed in several major cities over an impasse in nearly three years of contract negotiations. The airline says more cancellations are possible through the weekend. Alaska says more than 120 of its flights were canceled, or about 9% of its operations. About 15,300 passengers were affected. Canceled flights included 66 in Seattle, 20 in Portland, Oregon, 10 in Los Angeles and seven in San Francisco. The upheaval comes as air travel rebounds to pre-pandemic levels and many Americans are headed on vacation for spring break.