More than 5,000 flights cancelled amid US snowstorms

More than 5,000 flights cancelled amid US snowstorms

A sprawling winter storm from North Texas to upstate New York left many Americans stranded in airports and more than 5,000 US flights cancelled on Thursday, the most cancellations in a day since April 2020.

Thursday’s cancellation numbers more than double the 2,372 flights that were cancelled on Wednesday.

The storm brought more than a foot of snow and freezing rain to a wide stretch of the country.

The hardest-hit city was Dallas with 65 per cent of outgoing flights at its largest airport, Dallas Fort-Worth, grounded until a runway could be reopened a bit after midday, but the airport still issued a warning.

“Due to ongoing weather conditions, we anticipate intermediate stoppages throughout the day to treat for snow and ice,” the airport announced.

A majority of flights were cancelled at the three largest airports serving Ohio, Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, John Glenn Columbus International Airport and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) handles 45,000 flights on an average day, meaning the cancellations and delays impacted more than 10 per cent of US air traffic.

In comparison, from January to November 2021, 1.65 per cent of U.S flights were cancelled, according to the the Transportation Department’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Texas governor Greg Abbott called it “one of the most significant icing events that we’ve had in the state of Texas in at least several decades.”

According to The New York Times, this storm comes after almost exactly a year a freeze caused widespread power outages in Texas and killed more than 200 people.


Featured image: Twitter/@KevinReeceWFAA

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