As travelers prepare to fly home on what is expected to be one of the busiest travel days in 15 years, a powerful winter storm in the Midwest and Great Lakes region has caused hundreds of flights to be canceled across the country.
As of noon Sunday, 6,211 flights have been delayed to and from the United States, and 1,006 flights have been canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware, which provides live updates on flight delays and cancellations.
From Los Angeles International Airport, California's busiest, six flights were canceled and 126 delayed. Incoming flights to LAX were also affected, with 12 flights canceled and 155 delayed. Hollywood Burbank Airport and Long Beach Airport were also affected with several flights delayed on Sunday.
In a Nov. 21 statement, the Transportation Security Administration said more than 17.8 million travelers were expected to fly from Nov. 25 to Dec. 2, of which more than 3 million would travel on Sunday. “We are projecting that the Sunday after Thanksgiving will be one of the busiest travel days in TSA history,” said Adam Stahl, a senior official who serves as TSA deputy administrator.
While weather is the main cause of delays, some short-term disruptions were expected after the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive to address a software issue on the Airbus A320 aircraft. The recall was implemented after a JetBlue Airways flight from Cancun to Newark went down in midair on October 30 and made an emergency landing in Tampa, Florida, injuring between 15 and 20 passengers.
Before heading to the airport, travelers are advised to check NASstatus.faa.gov for flight delays, the National Weather Service for weather conditions, and airlines for updated flight information.
