Severe winter weather is disrupting airline operations in the Southeast USA, with major carriers American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines cancelling hundreds of flights on 10 January.
The US National Weather Service says that a “significant winter storm” is bringing “heavy snow and disruptive ice” across southern states, with adverse conditions expected to continue into the morning of 11 January.
Flight-tracking platform FlightAware shows that American has cancelled nearly about 725 flights as of 12:00 on the East Coast, while Delta has cancelled nearly 350 flights and issued a travel waiver for several cities in the Southeast USA.
“Delta customers may experience a mix of rain, sleet and snow affecting our operations,” the carrier says, adding that its hub at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International airport is among the impacted airports.
“The storm forecast includes parts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia,” it says. “Delta Meteorology anticipates wintry conditions through the day 10 January and possible flurries 11 January.”
Southwest’s network, meanwhile, has suffered more than 350 flight cancellations, accoridng to FlightAware.
Ohio-based regional carrier PSA Airlines is also among those most affected, as it has cancelled more than 200 flights.
FlightAware data show that airports in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas and Nashville are experiencing significant operational disruptions. Nearly half of flights departing from Nashville International airport have been cancelled, with snowfall of between 4 and 8 inches expected in portions of Tennessee.
The Federal Aviation Administration warns of delays and cancellations at Memphis International airport, as well as major northeast hubs such as Boston Logan International, LaGuardia International and John F Kennedy International airports.
The storm blanketing the Southeast USA is the latest headache for American’s network planners, as the Fort Worth-based carrier’s operations were disrupted by an IT-related nationwide ground stop late last month, amid the height of the winter holiday air travel period.