Delayed flights, canceled trips, and disgruntled passengers are nothing new. But the recent string of delays and last-minute flight changes have been the cause of ire among passengers flying to other destinations. 

All local carriers have been experiencing more delays and cancellations than usual, which is apparent when you see long posts by angry passengers on social media. The story usually goes like this: a person who booked their very important flight has it either canceled, rescheduled to an impossible date, or heavily delayed by the airline. 

But aside from the bad weather, what could be the cause of these problems? 

The blame falls on airplane maintenance. Specifically, a lack thereof. 

All airlines have to adhere to a specific—and strict—routine of airplane maintenance to make sure the planes fly safely. Pratt and Whitney is an American aerospace company that designs, manufactures, and maintains airplanes. 

Due to a global shortage, the company is facing supply problems for vital engine parts which have also affected countries like India and the United States. Without those parts, ground servicing for airplanes can take longer or even be impossible due to safety measures. 

Airbus, an airplane manufacturing company, also announced that there will be delays in deliveries of their aircrafts, which adds another layer to this air travel problem. 

In the past couple of weeks, there have been an average of five to ten flight cancellations per day, and even more delays. 

This year was supposed to mark the return to flying friendly in the skies, but with these problems, it might be best to hold off on that trip for now.