Air travelers can expect another day of flight delays and cancellations Thursday as a major winter storm system continues to blanket large parts of the country with heavy snow and ice, after roughly 18% of flights in the U.S. were disrupted Wednesday.
Thursday is shaping up to be a day of flight disruptions for air travelers.
As of 9:35 a.m. EST Wednesday, there were 231 flight cancellations and 2,023 delays in and out of U.S. airports, according to FlightAware.
Airports reporting double-digit flight cancellations early Thursday include Boston Logan and Detroit Metro Wayne.
Flight disruptions due to weather-related incidents tend to mount as the day progresses.
Major U.S. airlines are offering travel waivers to passengers flying in and out of impacted airports so they can change their travel plans without incurring extra charges.
A major winter storm system continues its easterly path Thursday, with heavy snow expected to develop over New England and an ice storm forecast in the Central Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service.
8,108. That’s how many flights were either delayed or canceled Wednesday due to the same storm system. That number represents roughly 18% of the 45,000 flights the Federal Aviation Administration manages, on average, every day in the United States.
Expect flight disruptions to rise as the day progresses. Regional weather events often impact flights across the entire country because airlines reuse planes throughout each day. A plane delayed on one route will run late for other scheduled departures, causing a domino effect of disruption into late afternoon.
Winter Storm: Airlines Issue Travel Alerts For Thursday Travel (Forbes)