U.S. Airlines Resume Flights After Northeast Winter Storm Causes Massive Cancellations

U.S. airlines are preparing to restore flight schedules on Tuesday after a powerful Northeast winter storm triggered widespread travel disruptions, resulting in more than 8,000 flight cancellations and delays. The blizzard, which blanketed parts of the U.S. Northeast with over 2.5 feet of snow, forced airport closures, grounded aircraft, and left thousands of travelers stranded.

Airlines including United Airlines announced plans to ramp up operations as weather conditions gradually improve. However, carriers cautioned that recovery efforts remain challenging due to lingering snow, airport congestion, and aircraft repositioning. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, approximately 7% of U.S. flights are expected to be canceled Tuesday, a notable improvement from just over 19% on Monday. On a typical day, the U.S. domestic flight cancellation rate averages around 1%.

Southwest Airlines confirmed it is on track to increase operations, weather permitting. The Dallas-based low-cost carrier canceled roughly 7% of its flights Monday, performing better than many competitors due to its limited exposure in the Northeast. Meanwhile, American Airlines resumed operations at Washington Reagan National Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.

Delta Air Lines and American Airlines expect to restart flights at major hubs including New York’s LaGuardia Airport, JFK Airport, and Boston Logan by late Tuesday morning. Delta also plans to resume service at Newark Liberty International Airport. JetBlue Airways faced some of the most severe disruptions, canceling approximately 80% of its flights Monday and a total of 1,600 flights through Wednesday, according to FlightAware data.

The winter storm also disrupted rail travel, with Amtrak canceling dozens of trains between New York and Boston and across other Northeast routes. Several states issued travel advisories, urging residents to avoid non-essential road travel due to hazardous conditions.

As airlines work to normalize schedules, travelers are advised to check flight status updates and allow extra time for potential delays.