Delays and cancellations are costly for carriers. Spirit Airlines lost $50 million after delays last July and August. Meanwhile, executives at Southwest Airlines said the carrier lost $75 million in revenue as it tried to manage through operational issues in October.

But consumer advocates, lawmakers and travelers are asking why two years after airlines began receiving infusions of cash, the system remains in disarray.

“This is really an unacceptable situation,” said William McGee, senior fellow for aviation and travel at the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit group focused on enforcement of antitrust regulations. “They got that big bailout with grants and loans and there was only one caveat: You need to make sure your staffing stays up. So what did airlines do? They found a loophole and they managed to encourage people to leave, which is exactly what Congress asked them not to do.”

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