Airlines cancel hundreds of flights as massive winter storm sweeps across U.S.
Planes on the tarmac during a snowstorm at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, USA, on Monday, January 6, 2025.
Ting Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Airlines canceled more than 1,300 flights scheduled for Friday as a massive winter storm ravaged the United States with heavy snowfall and sleet, followed by bitter cold.
More than 400 U.S. flights were canceled on Friday and 1,325 were canceled from Saturday’s schedule, according to flight tracker FlightAware. The majority of Saturday’s cancellations occurred with 900 canceled flights at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and 139 cancellations at Dallas Love Field, each accounting for about half the daily schedule.
Airlines will routinely cancel flights ahead of a major storm to prevent planes, passengers and crew from being stranded; This could worsen disruptions once the severe weather conditions subside.
American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and other U.S. carriers said they are waiving change and cancellation fees, as well as fare differences for rebooking, for customers with round-trip tickets to more than 40 airports across the country. Exemptions also include restrictive basic economy tickets.
American said it was repositioning its planes and increasing staffing at major airports to cushion the impact of the storm and “set the stage for a rapid, safe recovery when conditions improve.”
