WASHINGTON: A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States has severely disrupted air travel, forcing airlines to cancel and delay thousands of flights and stranding passengers nationwide as freezing rain, heavy snowfall, and extreme cold battered large parts of the country.
Nearly one in five scheduled flights had been canceled by late Monday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium, underscoring the scale of the disruption caused by the storm, which stretched from the southern Plains to the northeastern United States.
Separate data from FlightAware showed that about 5,220 domestic flights were canceled and more than 6,500were delayed by early evening. The chaos followed the cancellation of roughly 11,000 flights on Sunday — the highest single-day total since the COVID-19 pandemic, Cirium said.
The storm dumped up to a foot of snow across wide swathes of the country, paralyzing much of the eastern United States and contributing to at least 18 deaths. Forecasters warned that extreme cold conditions could persist in some regions through the week.
Among major carriers, American Airlines accounted for the largest share of disruptions on Monday, canceling nearly 1,180 flights and delaying about 1,130 others. Republic Airways, JetBlue Airways, and Delta Air Lines followed it.
The Federal Aviation Administration said snow, freezing rain, and poor visibility were affecting major hubs, including Boston and the New York metropolitan area. Boston Logan International Airport recorded the highest cancellation rate on Monday, with 71% of flights scrapped, 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 ice and sub-freezing temperatures halted flights. The carrier requested ground stops from the FAA at Dallas–Fort Worth and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to manage gate congestion and crew availability.
Airlines said recovery efforts were ongoing, but warned that operations remain fragile due to the interconnected nature of air travel, with aircraft and flight crews often displaced by widespread cancellations.
Passenger frustration spilled onto social media as travelers sought rebooking options and updates. United Airlines said it had begun restoring services, with cancellations falling to 320 on Monday evening from more than 1,000 the previous day, according to FlightAware.
Weather-related economic losses from the storm are expected to be severe. AccuWeather estimated preliminary damage and economic losses at between $105 billion and $115 billion, potentially making it the costliest severe weather event since the Los Angeles-area wildfires in early 2025.
As of late Monday, at least 285 flights scheduled for Tuesday had already been canceled, raising concerns that travel disruptions could continue as the storm system moves eastward.
