Why Did a Massive Winter Storm Ground Over 10,700 US Flights?

A brutal travel day hit the United States as a massive winter storm swept across the country. The storm brought widespread snow, sleet, and freezing rain. It threatened nearly 180 million people, over half the US population, from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, according to the National Weather Service. This weather event caused unprecedented disruption to commercial aviation operations.

Record-Setting US Flight Cancellations

More than 10,700 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. Aviation analytics firm Cirium stated the storm is the highest cancellation event experienced in the US since the start of the pandemic. The widespread disruption affected major airport hubs across the South and Northeast.

By midday Sunday, many busy airports saw the majority of their flights grounded. In Philadelphia (PHL), 94% of flights, totaling 326, were cancelled. New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) saw 91% of its flights, or 433, cancelled. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that LaGuardia closed Sunday afternoon, grounding flights until 8 p.m..

Impact on Major Airport Hubs

Other key aviation entities faced airline network disruption across the country. New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) cancelled 458 flights, about 75% of its schedule. All departing flights, approximately 420, were cancelled at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Significant disruptions also hit major airport hubs like Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Charlotte (CLT), and Atlanta (ATL), the nation’s busiest airport. The storm moved into the Northeast Sunday, expected to dump up to two feet (60 cm) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.

Major Airline Operations Affected

Several major US carriers reported thousands of cancellations due to the storm. The massive winter storm forced airlines to issue travel waivers for customers. This allowed travelers to change plans without penalty.

• American Airlines cancelled over 1,400 flights, roughly 46% of its Sunday schedule.
• Delta Air Lines reported over 1,300 cancellations for the day.
• Southwest Airlines cancelled over 1,260 flights.
• United Airlines grounded about 900 flights.
• JetBlue had more than 570 cancelled flights, about 71% of its daily schedule.

The Challenge of Recovery and Logistics

Experts warn that the recovery from this highest cancellation event will be challenging. Vikrant Vaze, a Dartmouth professor specializing in commercial aviation logistics, noted the recovery will take days or longer. Cascading delays will affect travelers even outside the storm's direct path.

The complexity stems from the number of airlines and their different network structures. Vaze explained that recovery depends heavily on each airline's capacity to handle such massive disruptions. Airlines must manage crew and aircraft repositioning across the entire system. This is a significant logistical challenge. The airline network disruption highlights the fragility of the interconnected US air travel system during severe weather events.

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