New york: A severe winter storm that swept across much of the United States brought freezing rain and heavy snowfall, forcing thousands of flights to be canceled and delayed on Monday. Data from Cirium, an aviation data analytics company, indicates that nearly 19 percent of scheduled flights were canceled on Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, data from FlightAware showed approximately 5,220 domestic U.S. flights canceled and over 6,500 delayed in the evening. This follows Sunday's cancellation of 11,000 flights, the highest daily cancellation since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
According to Thai News Agency, this massive winter storm has brought down more than a foot (approximately 30 centimeters) of snow, covering an area from New Mexico to New England, paralyzing the eastern United States and resulting in at least 18 deaths. The frigid weather is expected to continue in some areas throughout the week.
Among airlines, American Airlines was the hardest hit, with nearly 1,180 flight cancellations and approximately 1,130 delays, followed by Republic Airways, JetBlue, and Delta Air Lines. The FAA stated that snow and freezing rain affected major aviation hubs such as Boston and the surrounding New York City area, with Boston Logan International Airport experiencing the highest rate of flight cancellations at 71 percent.
American Airlines stated that the storm affected five of its nine major airports, particularly Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, its largest base of operations, due to freezing temperatures and runway ice buildup, forcing temporary shutdowns to manage boarding gate congestion.
AccuWeather predicts that this storm will become the most costly and damaging weather event since the Los Angeles wildfires in early 2025, estimating initial damages and economic impacts at approximately $105 billion to $115 billion (or approximately 3.59 trillion to 3.93 trillion baht).
Due to the high level of interconnectedness of airline operations, flight cancellations have resulted in aircraft and crew being stranded and not in their designated positions, making efforts to restore flight schedules to normal difficult. The latest information indicates that approximately 285 flights scheduled for Tuesday have already been canceled.