According to the Associated Press, more than 11,400 flights were canceled and over 3,400 were delayed on Sunday, January 25, as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, based on data from flight tracking platform FlightAware.
Although the number of cancellations did not reach the levels seen during the early days of the pandemic in 2020, it represents the highest daily total since that period. On March 30, 2020, a total of 22,751 flights were scheduled, of which 12,143 were canceled, according to Cirium data.
Airlines proceeded with widespread cancellations as severe winter weather, including freezing rain and snowfall that affected Texas and Oklahoma on Friday, moved eastward. In the Washington, D.C. area, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport canceled all departing flights on Sunday, totaling 421 flights.
In Philadelphia, 94% of flights were canceled, representing 326 flights. At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, 91% of flights were canceled, amounting to 436 flights. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport recorded 466 canceled flights, or approximately 80% of scheduled services, according to FlightAware.
Significant disruptions were also reported at major airport hubs including Dallas–Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, which is home to the busiest airport in the United States.
Cancellation figures may continue to rise as the storm progresses toward the East Coast. Airlines began offering travel waivers earlier in the week and have since expanded the number of affected flights, aiming to limit the impact on passenger travel.
