Winter storm Elliott is wreaking havoc on the busy holiday season in the United States, with over 4,400 flights cancelled in the past two days.
More than 2,350 flights were scrapped on Thursday and another 2,120 flights on Friday, reported Reuters quoting flight tracking website FlightAware.
While the Middle East airlines faced disruption on the two days, especially from Central and Midwest states, all flights are listed as per schedule from Saturday onwards.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Thursday that the winter storm was bringing blizzard conditions to the Midwest, with major travel disruptions in Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The FAA was asking travellers to be wary of the conditions and tweeted: “Check flight status with your airline before you head to the airport. The FAA does not cancel flights. We have general airport information at http://fly.faa.gov.
Another 8,450 flights were delayed, and all major domestic and international flights were impacted. Southwest Airlines cancelled 865 flights Thursday, nearly one-fifth of all its scheduled flights, and another 550 for Friday. Delta cancelled 270 of its 8800 flights over the two days.
With the weather system moving towards East Coast, New York’s JFK Airport tweeted: “We’re monitoring the winter storm that has begun to move through our region. Disruptions to flight activity are expected, so please confirm flight status with your airline before heading to #JFKAirport and allow for extra travel time.”
Weather.com said winter storm Elliott is intensifying into a likely ‘bomb cyclone’ as it tracks through the Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes with snow and strong winds, including blizzard conditions for some. Snow is falling right now from parts of the Great Lakes into the Lower Mississippi Valley.
Nearly 25 percent of departing flights at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Thursday were cancelled, including Emirates’ EK236.
Even train operator Amtrak was forced to cancel several dozen scheduled trips in the Midwest, including trains in Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri and trains between New York and Chicago.
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