Flight cancellations and delays are becoming more serious as the “once in a generation” winter storm passes. All airlines canceled more than 3,000 of his U.S. flights on Tuesday, with Southwest Airlines accounting for more than 2,600 of his flights in total.
The winter holiday travel season is notoriously tough, but travelers are finding more cancellations this year than usual. More than 70% of his 48 states in the continental United States had temperatures below freezing last Friday, further disrupting an already busy travel day.
airlines with the most cancellations
Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,600 flights on Tuesday alone, so the company is expected to have canceled more than 11,00 flights since Thursday. The carrier disruption has been scrutinized by the Department of Transportation, which said it was investigating Southwest Airlines’ handling of the cancellation.
Airports with the most cancellations
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport experienced more cancellations than any other major airport in the country. Seattle Airport’s runway closed for several hours early Friday, with crews working to de-ice the surface and reopening with limited operations. Nearly 50% of flights to and from the airport were canceled Friday as western Washington received a severe storm warning.
FlightAware predicts cancellations will decrease as the week progresses and temperatures rise. Hopefully, as Lower 48 thaws into the new year, so too will the surge in cancellations and delays.