Flight delays, cancellations continue amid winter storm

Amid the ongoing, massive winter storm, air travel in the United States continues to be snarled Monday.

Thousands of flights have been canceled or delayed, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.com. The Federal Aviation Administration reports that several airports are closed or experiencing ground delays.

“I’d rather have delays or cancellations at airports across the country because of this winter storm than compromise the safety of Americans,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X on Monday. “Please be patient as we dig out from the snow and ice.”

As of 4:30 p.m. EST Monday, more than 5,100 flights within, into or out of the U.S. had been canceled and at least 6,000 had been delayed, FlightAware reported.

Sunday saw the worst record of flight cancellations since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, according to Duffy, who cited staffing issues with air traffic controllers, pilots and other people who work at airports.

More than 11,400 flights were canceled Sunday, according to the flight-tracking website, with airports in Atlanta; Dallas; and Charlotte, North Carolina, most affected. More than 4,200 flights were delayed at airports stretching from Atlanta to Dallas to Chicago.

On Sunday, a business jet carrying six people flipped over and caught fire as it tried to take off during a snowstorm from Maine’s Bangor International Airport. The plane crashed on the airfield around 7:45 p.m. Sunday. The FAA initially said seven people had died and one was seriously injured in the crash, but Bangor airport officials latered clarified six were listed on the flight manifest and no one was transported to the hospital.

An audio recording of air traffic controllers includes someone saying, “Aircraft upside down. We have a passenger aircraft upside down,” about 45 seconds after a plane was cleared for takeoff.

Snow continues to dump on the Northeast under the tail end of a colossal winter storm that brought ice and power outages, impassable roads, canceled flights and frigid cold to much of the southern and eastern United States. At least 25 weather-related deaths have been reported.

Deep snow measuring over a foot extended in a 1,300-mile swath from Arkansas to New England over the weekend.

“Today is DIG OUT DAY!” Duffy wrote on X on Monday. “We have our trucks and snowplows clearing the way. Please stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary so transportation workers have the time and space to remove the snow and ice.”

The FAA reported Monday morning that numerous airports were closed, including Boston Logan International, Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, San Diego-Lindbergh Field and Fort Worth Alliance in Texas while others had issued ground delays, including Dallas Fort Worth International, Ronald Reagan Washington National and JFK International.

The FAA said several other airports are engaged in deicing efforts, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Pittsburgh International and Charlotte Douglas International.

Speaking on CBNC Monday, Duffy said he expects air travel to return to normal at U.S. airports on Wednesday.

The Associated Press and Spectrum News’ David Ledford contributed to this report.