Airlines cancel hundreds of flights ahead of powerful winter storm

Airlines and airports across much of the United States canceled hundreds of flights and prepared for widespread disruptions as a powerful winter storm threatened ice and snow this weekend. Delta said it had proactively canceled some Friday flights in northern Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee, but most cancellations came for the weekend; according to FlightAware, American had canceled 19 percent of flights planned for Saturday and Southwest had canceled 17 percent, while Cirium said about two in three flights scheduled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday were already canceled.

Delta warned of additional cancellations in the Midwest and South and said it expected the storm to affect about 80 cities, sending experts from its colder-climate hubs to help with de-icing and baggage support in Southern airports including Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville. American said it was moving personnel and planes and stated, "We’re repositioning aircraft, aligning crew resources and reinforcing staffing at key airports while coordinating with our partners to help minimize disruption and set the stage for a fast, safe recovery." Forecasters called for ice and in some places a foot or more of snow, conditions that require runway plowing and extensive de-icing.

The story noted that de-icing is complex and costly but essential to flight safety; American treats planes at Chicago O’Hare 6,000 to 10,000 times every winter.

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Business, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Dallas Fort Worth, Chicago O'hare