Thousands of Flights Disrupted Across Midwest and Eastern States

A major winter storm passed through the US on January 6, causing disruptions to over 9,000 flights. The most significant impacts were felt in Chicago and Washington D.C. due to FAA-issued ground stops and runway closures.

The FAA ordered a ground stop at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) at around 6:30 am on Monday. It was lifted shortly after, but enough damage had already been done by the storm to leave 263 flights canceled and an average delay of 45 minutes throughout the day. Back-ups at the nearby Midway International Airport (MDW) weren’t as profound, with 31 cancellations and an average 20-minute delay.

Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) was forced to close all three of its runways Monday evening. This was especially troublesome during an unusually busy time for the Capital, with Congress certifying Donald Trump’s electoral college victory over Kamala Harris earlier that day. The funeral of former President Jimmy Carter is also on the week’s agenda.

Despite nearly 12 states being stormed in, the brunt of nature’s fury was felt in the Greater Washington, D.C., metro region. Almost 80% of departures from DCA were canceled when the runways were shut down, allowing ground crews to clear as much snow as possible before the temperature dropped further. The airport immediately issued a notice to travelers, encouraging them to “closely monitor flight schedules with your airline for possible changes.”

FlightAware data shows that around 9,000 flights within, into, or out of the United States were delayed or canceled during the storm. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Kennedy International Airport (JFK) were both practically begging for ground stops to slow down incoming traffic, the FAA reported.

Southwest Airlines, which had to cancel 360 flights because of the icy weather, posted a travel advisory stating that any passenger expecting to fly in or out of 14 US airports was likely to have their plans disrupted. The carrier allowed any potentially impacted customers to alter their reservations for free.

FMI: https://nasstatus.faa.gov