Topline
Thousands of flights across the U.S. were delayed Monday, as severe thunderstorms in the South, Plains and Mississippi Valley disrupted traveling Americans during the Memorial Day weekend.
Tens of millions of Americans were projected to travel during the Memorial Day weekend.
As of 4:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, there were over 4,300 flight delays and more than 125 cancellations in and out of U.S. airports, according to FlightAware.
Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport reported 393 flight delays among flights originating from the airport, or about 34% of flights leaving the airport Monday, as the hub issued a ground stop for all flights earlier because of nearby thunderstorms, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Denver International Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston warned of ground delays of more than an hour as thunderstorms impacted both airports, with 272 and 261 flight departure delays reported, respectively.
Southwest Airlines (1,029), American Airlines (587) and United Airlines (540) reported the most delays among U.S. flight carriers through Monday afternoon.
45.1 million. That’s the number of people who were projected to travel over Memorial Day weekend, an increase of 1.4 million over 2024 and a new record high, according to AAA. Of these travelers, about 3.6 million were expected to travel by plane, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport—American Airlines’ largest hub—estimated about 1.4 million people would travel through its terminals.
A “slight” risk of severe thunderstorms were forecast across the Southwest through Texas and into Georgia, including areas around San Antonio and Laredo, Texas, Montgomery and Mobile, Alabama and Columbus, Georgia, the National Weather Service said Monday. An increased yet “marginal” risk was forecast in areas near Houston and Austin, Texas, Jacksonville, Florida, New Orleans and Atlanta. Other areas with a risk of severe thunderstorms include an area that sweeps from West Texas and into New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana, with other risks forecast across Minnesota and parts of Maine.
Southwest Airlines Flight 168, which departed Tampa International Airport for Denver International Airport on Sunday evening, “sustained a possible lightning strike” before the plane landed in Denver, the airline told the Denver Gazette. Denver International Airport told the outlet the aircraft was taken out of service after landing and no injuries were reported.
The Memorial Day weekend is the busiest traveling period since the Transportation Security Administration began requiring a REAL ID for travelers earlier this month. The form of identification, similar to a standard driver’s license but with a star in the upper-right corner denoting federal recognition, would prevent travelers from facing any lengthy delays should they not have a REAL ID. A senior TSA official told Forbes anyone without a REAL ID should be prepared to miss their flight and should consider alternative forms of identification accepted for air travel in the U.S., including a passport, a green card or a Department of Homeland Security-issued trusted traveler card.