US Airlines Hit Hard as Winter Storm Disrupts Thousands of Flights

A massive winter storm caused chaos on Friday, throwing air travel into disarray across 12 states in the United States.

As of 5:30 p.m. ET, FlightAware reported that more than 2,000 flights were cancelled and an extra 5,846 faced delays. Southwest Airlines was responsible for the most cancellations, with 401 flights affected. SkyWest closely followed with 358 grounded flights. Delta Air Lines recognized the challenges of operating flights in the Midwest amidst the unfavourable weather conditions.

"We expect some operational challenges due to the weather in the Midwest today and potentially tomorrow due to the winter weather in the region," Delta Air Lines said.

Southwest Airlines has released a travel advisory, cautioning passengers about potential disruptions in flights to Chicago, Detroit, and Omaha. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also issued warnings regarding possible delays at certain airports due to cloudy conditions, snowfall, and strong winds. United Airlines has been dealing with persistent difficulties, having already cancelled 284 flights, with some disruptions expected to persist until Saturday. The airline is awaiting regulatory approval to resume the operation of Boeing's 737 MAX 9 aircraft.

United has confirmed that they are prepared for any unforeseen circumstances and will arrange alternative flights for affected passengers. This unexpected situation forced the aircraft to make an unscheduled landing. The investigation further compounds the challenges airlines are facing due to weather-related disruptions.

Stay updated as airlines work towards overcoming the impact of this significant winter storm on the aviation industry.