Traffic moves along Interstate 30 after a snow storm on February 15, 2021 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ron Jenkins | Getty Images
Airlines have canceled more than 4,000 flights in Texas since Monday when an unusual winter storm that caused snow, ice, and record low temperatures hit the state, creating dangerous road conditions and turning off electricity for millions of people.
Nearly 900 flights to and from Dallas / Fort Worth International Airport, American Airlines’ largest hub, were canceled Tuesday, more than half of the schedule. Almost 1,000 flights were canceled there on Monday as the storm growled the trip at the end of Presidents Day weekend.
American has placed airport employees in hotels to avoid commuting problems.
George Bush Intercontinental / Houston Airport, a major United Airlines hub, and the city’s William P. Hobby Airport, a Southwest Airlines hub, said they would be closed until 4 p.m. CT.
More than 100 flights to and from Chicago were also canceled Tuesday after the region received more snow.
Flight schedules were drastically reduced due to the Covid pandemic, but the storm struck after airlines saw a surge in demand for the long weekend. The Transportation Security Administration’s daily U.S. airport screenings on Thursday and Friday exceeded 1 million for the first time since early January.
Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that the demand for vacation travel has increased since January.
However, February sales are expected to still be between 65% and 70% below 2019 levels, slightly better than a previous forecast.
“We suspect these flight cancellations and delays will have little financial impact,” said Helane Becker, an analyst for the Cowen airline, in a note.
