Climate Change
Winter storm disrupts US travel, triggers thousands of flight cancellations
The disruptions followed a chaotic Sunday, when about 11,000 flights were scrapped—the highest daily total since the COVID-19 pandemic
A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States brought air travel to a near standstill on Monday, forcing airlines to cancel and delay thousands of flights as freezing rain and heavy snowfall battered large parts of the country.
By late afternoon, nearly 19% of scheduled flights had been canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Separate data from FlightAware showed around 5,220 U.S. flights were canceled and more than 6,500 delayed by early evening.
The disruptions followed a chaotic Sunday, when about 11,000 flights were scrapped—the highest daily total since the COVID-19 pandemic, Cirium said.
The massive storm dumped up to a foot of snow from New Mexico to New England, paralyzing much of the eastern United States and contributing to at least 18 deaths. Extreme cold is expected to linger in some areas through the week.
American Airlines accounted for the largest share of disruptions on Monday, canceling nearly 1,180 flights and delaying about 1,130, followed by Republic Airways, JetBlue Airways, and Delta Air Lines.
In an advisory, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that snow, freezing rain, and low visibility were affecting major hubs, including Boston and the New York metropolitan area. Boston Logan International Airport recorded the highest cancellation rate at 71%, according to Cirium.
American Airlines said the storm disrupted operations at five of its nine hub airports, including its largest base at Dallas–Fort Worth, where freezing temperatures and ice grounded flights.
The carrier requested FAA-approved ground stops for all its flights at Dallas–Fort Worth and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to manage gate capacity constraints.
The airline said teams were working around the clock to restore operations, as frustrated passengers flooded social media with requests for updates and assistance.
United Airlines said it had begun restoring flights, with cancellations dropping sharply from 1,019 on Sunday to 320 by Monday evening, FlightAware data showed.
The storm is on track to become the costliest severe weather event since the Los Angeles-area wildfires in early 2025, with preliminary damage and economic losses estimated between $105 billion and $115 billion, according to AccuWeather.
Airline operations remain vulnerable due to the interconnected nature of flight schedules, where cancellations can leave aircraft and crews out of position, slowing recovery efforts. Already, about 285 flights scheduled for Tuesday have been canceled, FlightAware data showed.