WASHINGTON: Travellers are bracing for continued disruption to start the US working week as airlines scramble to restore schedules after a severe winter storm triggered the most flight cancellations since the Covid era.
Around 3,500 flights were cancelled on Monday as of 1:30 a.m. New York time, according to FlightAware. That was down from roughly 11,600 cancellations on Sunday, when the worst storm in years coated large parts of the US South and Mid-Atlantic in ice and effectively shut down some of the country's busiest aviation hubs.
By mid-morning Sunday, more than 80% of departures were cancelled at Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport, while cancellations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport topped 90%, Cirium data show.
Airlines said they aim to resume normal operations quickly, though lingering cold and icy conditions at airports - and on roads and highways - are likely to complicate recovery. Aircraft and crews may also be out of position, slowing efforts to rebuild schedules.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. said it will begin restoring operations Monday, though some areas may still face impacts from freezing conditions. JetBlue Airways Corp., which scrapped more than 70% of flights on Sunday, said it will work toward resuming its normal schedule once the storm passes and plans to add flights to assist customers.
Around 3,500 flights were cancelled on Monday as of 1:30 a.m. New York time, according to FlightAware. That was down from roughly 11,600 cancellations on Sunday, when the worst storm in years coated large parts of the US South and Mid-Atlantic in ice and effectively shut down some of the country's busiest aviation hubs.
By mid-morning Sunday, more than 80% of departures were cancelled at Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International Airport, while cancellations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport topped 90%, Cirium data show.
Airlines said they aim to resume normal operations quickly, though lingering cold and icy conditions at airports - and on roads and highways - are likely to complicate recovery. Aircraft and crews may also be out of position, slowing efforts to rebuild schedules.
United Airlines Holdings Inc. said it will begin restoring operations Monday, though some areas may still face impacts from freezing conditions. JetBlue Airways Corp., which scrapped more than 70% of flights on Sunday, said it will work toward resuming its normal schedule once the storm passes and plans to add flights to assist customers.
