Winter Storm Fern, making its impact felt across the United States, is causing one of the most significant disruptions to air travel in recent years. As adverse weather conditions derail the travel plans of millions, airlines and airports are issuing successive warnings.
Record Cancellations in Flight Traffic
Due to the storm’s impact, major carriers including Delta, Southwest, United, and American Airlines have implemented mass adjustments to their flight schedules. With 2,443 flights canceled on Friday and 2,439 on Saturday, cancellations reached approximately 16% of all scheduled flights. These figures have surpassed the losses experienced during previous FAA system outages.
Operational Status at Airports
According to FAA data, the progression of the storm is directly affecting operational speed margins at various hubs:
- Strong winds are expected to slow operations at Boston Logan, JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Philadelphia airports.
- Delays are anticipated at major hubs such as Atlanta, Houston (IAH and Hobby), San Francisco, and Seattle due to low visibility.
- Snowfall continues to strain flight traffic in the Chicago (O’Hare and Midway) and Detroit regions.
