Outlook Business Desk
A severe winter storm swept across the continental United States over the weekend, disrupting air travel nationwide and affecting nearly 180 million people.
Flight operations took a major hit, with more than 11,400 services cancelled, as busy Northeast American airports bore the brunt of the disruption, particularly on January 25, Saturday .
The winter storm is advancing into the Northeast part of the country and is expected to drop 1 to 2 feet of snow from Washington to New York and Boston, creating hazardous travel conditions and further disrupting flights and daily activities, according to weather forcast.
According to a CNBC report, over 3,000 flights scheduled for Monday were cancelled as airlines worked to recalibrate services after the storm. Major airports faced heavy disruptions, particularly in Boston, New York and Newark.
Boston’s airport experienced about 60% of flights cancelled on Monday, New York’s LaGuardia and JFK saw over 40% cancellations and Newark Liberty International had roughly 33% of flights grounded due to the winter storm.
For Tuesday, flight cancellations have eased, with around 34 services cancelled so far, as airlines continue recovery efforts following the severe winter storm that disrupted travel across the United States.
American Airlines cancelled nearly 1,800 flights on Sunday, Delta over 1,470, Southwest about 1,340 and United around 1,016, while JetBlue grounded more than 590 services as the winter storm disrupted air travel nationwide.
The winter storm triggered the highest number of flight cancellations in the United States since the COVID‑19 pandemic, underscoring the widespread disruption to air travel and the challenges airlines face in resuming normal operations.