Southwest, United, and American Airlines Have Combined to Cancel Over 2,000 Flights in the United States. Here’s Why?
The East Coast is bracing for a probable “bomb cyclone,” and airlines including Southwest, United, and America have together canceled thousands of flights across the country.
Flight cancellations inside, into, and out of the United States totaled 2,202 as of 5:30 a.m. ET on Friday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. According to FlightAware, there were 4,158 cancellations across the globe at the same time.
Heavy snow, strong winds, and freezing temperatures are expected for parts of the East Coast as a probable “bomb cyclone” — a hurricane-like storm that develops in the mid-latitudes – approaches the region, according to AccuWeather.com.
According to AccuWeather, snow has already begun to fall in New York City, with inhabitants expecting up to six inches by midmorning.
As of 5:30 a.m. ET on Friday, Southwest had canceled 517 flights, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. The same period saw United cancel 177 flights and Americans cancel 160, bringing the total number of canceled flights to 247. JetBlue has decided to cancel flight 152.
According to FlightAware, New York’s LaGuardia Airport had the highest number of flight cancellations as of 5.30 a.m. ET on Friday, with 187 cancellations. Boston Logan International Airport had 135 passengers, New York’s JFK International Airport had 127 passengers, and Newark Liberty International Airport had 122 passengers.
American, Southwest, and United did not immediately react to Insider’s requests for comment, which were submitted outside of normal business hours in the United States of America.
Winter weather advisories have been issued by the National Weather Service for a number of eastern states, including New York, Virginia, Maryland, and the State of New Jersey.
The most recent bomb cyclone to hit the United States occurred in October, when heavy rains wreaked havoc across California, producing flash flooding and mudslides and stranding almost 117,000 people across the state.
The latest round of flight cancellations follows a time of severe disruption over the Christmas holiday, which was caused by an increase in the number of employees afflicted with the Omicron coronavirus type, as well as inclement weather in portions of the United States, among other factors.
