Severe winter storms across the United States have significantly hampered the restart of flight operations at major hubs, with the aviation industry bracing for further disruptions as another arctic blast looms later this week. According to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, January 27, airlines are struggling to recover from widespread cancellations and delays caused by the extreme weather.
Flight Operations Disrupted at Key Hubs
Delta Air Lines Inc. stated that unfavorable weather conditions in the Northeast are affecting services at its hubs in Boston and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. American Airlines Group Inc. has already canceled about 500 mainline and regional services on Tuesday, following the scrapping of more than half of its scheduled flights on Monday, as per data from FlightAware.
Flight Cancellations Ease Slightly but Recovery Slow
As of 1 am New York time on Tuesday, nearly 1,000 flights were canceled, according to data providers. This marks a decrease from the more than 6,100 cancellations on Monday and Sunday’s 11,600—the highest since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. While cancellations are expected to ease by Tuesday, airlines warn that full recovery will take several days, highlighting persistent challenges in restoring normal operations.
Human Toll and Power Outages Mount
The Associated Press reported at least 30 deaths across the US due to the severe cold, including incidents such as snowplow accidents in Massachusetts and Ohio, fatal sledding accidents in Arkansas and Texas, and a woman found dead in Kansas. In New York City, officials said eight people were found dead outdoors over the frigid weekend.
Widespread Power Outages and Infrastructure Damage
More than 560,000 power outages were recorded nationwide on Monday evening, with most concentrated in the South. Freezing rain caused tree limbs and power lines to snap, leading to crippling outages in northern Mississippi and parts of Tennessee. Officials warned that restoring power could take days. In Mississippi, the state’s worst ice storm since 1994 prompted emergency measures, including distributing cots, blankets, bottled water, and generators to warming stations. Governor Tate Reeves reported major damage to at least 14 homes, one business, and 20 public roads.
School Closures and Extreme Cold Warnings
School closures have mounted, with districts in Dallas, Memphis, and Nashville canceling classes on Tuesday. Several Maryland districts remain closed, while others, including Baltimore City and Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, have shifted to remote learning. The National Weather Service forecast more widespread record cold temperatures for Tuesday, with extreme cold warnings from eastern Texas through western Pennsylvania. In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear warned that temperatures could be so frigid that as little as 10 minutes outside could result in frostbite or hypothermia.
Another Winter Storm Threatens Further Disruptions
The bitter cold affecting two-thirds of the US is not abating. The National Weather Service indicated that a fresh influx of arctic air is expected to sustain freezing temperatures in snow- and ice-covered areas. Forecasters warned that another winter storm could hit parts of the East Coast this weekend, bringing a blast of arctic air that will keep parts of the US in a deep freeze, spreading to the East, Southeast, and even stretching into Florida.
Economic and Operational Impacts
The potential cost of the winter storm is likely to be a key concern for investors as American Airlines and JetBlue Airways Corp. report fourth-quarter earnings this week. This earnings period will also reflect last year’s US government shutdown, which led to air traffic control staffing shortages and further flight disruptions across the country.
