Skybus Airlines cancels 10 flights after Christmas Day strandings

COLUMBUS (AP) — Discount carrier Skybus Airlines canceled 10 flights Wednesday because of problems with two of its aircraft, a day after Christmas cancellations left scores of travelers stranded.

Maintenance problems on two planes caused the flight cancellations both days, said Bob Tenenbaum, a Skybus spokesman. A door problem on one plane was expected to be fixed before the end of the day, and repairs to a damaged fuselage on a second plane could be finished by Thursday morning, he said.

If repairs were not completed, further cancellations were likely, Tenenbaum said.

Round trips were scrubbed Wednesday between the company’s hometown of Columbus and Milwaukee; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Bellingham, Wash.; Portsmouth, N.H.; and Gulfport, Miss.

The Wednesday disruptions to five inbound and five outbound fights Wednesday represents about one-fourth of the airline’s daily schedule, Tenenbaum said. On Tuesday, Skybus canceled eight flights — four inbound and four outbound.

Skybus is the fourth-largest carrier at Port Columbus International Airport, carrying between 10 and 15 percent of all travelers at the site, airport spokeswoman Angie Tabor said. On average about 22,000 passengers come in and out of the airport every day, she said.