Travelers arrive for their flights at the United Airlines Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday, at O'Hare International Airport on December 22, 2022, in Chicago. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP)
WASHINGTON: Airlines canceled more than 2,000 U.S. flights, disrupting holiday travel for thousands, as a powerful winter storm hit the United States.
The extreme weather coincided with the start of a holiday travel season that could be one of the busiest ever.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that the winter storm was bringing blizzard conditions to the Midwest with major travel disruptions expected in Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
More than 1,500 U.S. flights had been canceled on Thursday and another 761 flights for Friday were scrapped, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
So far, 21% of departing flights at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and 37% of flights at Chicago Midway were canceled on Thursday.
Dropped luggage sits at the United Airlines Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at O'Hare International Airport on December 22, 2022, in Chicago.
In the seven days ending Wednesday, the Transportation Security Administration said it screened nearly 16.2 million passengers, slightly below the 16.5 million screened in the same period in 2019.
Last year's holiday period was marred by an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff that forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights.
U.S. airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines, said earlier this week they were waiving change fees and fare differences for passengers in a range of affected areas.
American Airlines said on Wednesday it was continuing to monitor the winter storm, which is expected to affect Midwest, Northeast and East Coast airports this week, and had canceled about 80 flights as of 10 a.m. ET (1500 GMT).
Southwest Airlines had canceled 580 flights.
