LA wildfires cause minor flight disruptions but prompt airlines' flexibility

In recent days, the ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area have raised concerns about their impact on flight operations. With several major airports located in the city, questions have arisen regarding potential closures or disruptions to airline services. Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, has analyzed the situation.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), a key hub for American carriers and one of the busiest airports globally, has experienced relatively few cancellations despite the wildfires. According to Cirium's data from yesterday afternoon, only 8.55% of American Airlines flights to and from LAX were canceled. Frontier Airlines had a higher cancellation rate at 20%, though it operates fewer flights than American Airlines.

Overall, FlightAware reported that just 27 departing flights were canceled at LAX yesterday, representing 3% of its capacity. Similarly, only 26 arrivals were canceled, accounting for 2% of planned daily totals. A spokesperson for American Airlines stated: "American’s operation has not been impacted by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. However, we have added additional flexibility for customers whose travel plans have been impacted."