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El vuelo está cancelado por una avería.

El vuelo está cancelado por una avería.
The flight is canceled because of a breakdown.
From Lesson 198:Expressing cause (por)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about El vuelo está cancelado por una avería.

Why do we use por here instead of porque?
Both express a reason, but their grammar is different. We use por before a noun phrase to mean 'because of' (like por una avería). We use porque when we introduce a clause with a conjugated verb, like porque hay una avería (because there is a breakdown).
Could I use para instead of por in this sentence?
No. We use por to express the cause or reason behind an action (why it happened). On the other hand, para is used for purposes or goals (what an action is meant to achieve). Since the breakdown is the cause of the cancellation, we must use por.
Why does this sentence use está instead of es before cancelado?
We use estar with a past participle (like cancelado) to describe a state or the result of an action. The flight was cancelled, and now it is in that resulting state. Using es would focus on the passive action of it being cancelled by someone, whereas está just describes its current status.
What exactly does avería mean?
An avería is a breakdown, mechanical failure, or fault. You will often see this word used for planes, cars, machinery, or even household appliances that have stopped working properly.

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