American Airlines Cancels 36 Flights from Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Feb. 8 -- Citing unexpected pilot absences, American Airlines canceled more than 10 percent of its scheduled flights yesterday, causing long waits and missed connections for some passengers at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

The absences, which forced the airline to cancel 36 flights at D/FW Airport and a total of 240 of its daily 2,250 flights, are related to a dispute between the airline and the Allied Pilots Association over the integration of 300 Reno Air pilots into the corps of American pilots.

More flight cancellations are expected today, although American Airlines spokesman Tim Smith did not know how many flights might be affected. He said the airline will try to contact passengers whose flights are canceled and help them make other arrangements.

"American continues to be very disappointed in this situation and sincerely regrets the inconvenience that it causes for our customers," Smith said.

At D/FW yesterday, Tonia Robinson took in stride the news that her 3:55 p.m. American flight to New York's LaGuardia Airport was canceled. But when her second flight of the day -- at 5:23 p.m. -- also failed to leave, she was no longer just spending a little extra waiting time with her parents, Yvonne and Jasper Patterson of Watauga.

Suddenly, Robinson, 31, who owns a real estate business in Bushkill, Pa., was getting word to her husband about the delay, worrying about picking up her 11-year-old daughter in Queens late at night and then making the two-hour drive to Pennsylvania.