On Sunday (Jan. 25), over 11,000 flights within, into, or out of the United States were cancelled amid dangerous winter weather across the country.
According to flight tracking service FlightAware, Sunday was the highest single day for flight cancellations since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. American Airlines was the worst-impacted airline, with almost 1,900 flights cancelled, white Dallas-Forth Worth and Hartsfield-Jackson were the worst-impacted airports, with 691 and 616 cancellations, respectively.
As detailed by the National Weather Service last week, a major winter storm hit the U.S. on Friday (Jan. 23), with disruptions expected up until Monday (Jan. 26). Heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain struck the Southern Rockies to New England, causing airports such as the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. to cancel all of its flights on Sunday. LaGuardia Airport in New York was also forced to close due to heavy snow, resulting in over 90 percent of its flights being canceled.
There have already been over 3,700 flight cancellations on Monday. Ahead of the storm, major U.S. airlines issued travel waivers amid expected disruptions. At least 18 states across the country were forced to issue a state of emergency due to the extreme winter weather, while nine states have sent out the National Guard. A total of 17 states have seen over a foot of snow since the storm hit late last week.
As reported by CNN, the storm has claimed the lives of at least 11 people across the country, and over 250 million people are under cold alerts. Approximately 800,000 people are also without power, while many schools have been forced to close or resorted to remote learning on Monday. Temperatures hit as low as minus 20 Fahrenheit on Monday, with the Midwest suffering the brunt of the extreme weather.