Ice storms in Texas and other US states have led to the cancellation of over 2,000 scheduled flights due to fears it might lead to a major disaster. After a horrible ice storm continued to hit parts of the South and central United States, the management of several airlines proceeded to halt many scheduled air transport. This is the second day in a row this is happening in several south and central US states.
Airplane tracking website FlightAware was one of the first sources to break the news of close to 2,000 air flights being canceled due to the weather condition. Apart from the canceled flights, about 3,900 more were delayed by about 6 p.m. ET. This has led to several transportation issues as people have been stranded in many paths of the affected states. Texas is the major state that was severely affected by the aftermath of these ice storms.
Dallas-Fort Worth International (DFW), Dallas Love Field (DAL), and Austin Bergstrom International (AUS) have been in total disarray as many air users and the staff is trying to make things work again. Dallas-Fort Worth International was the major Texas airport severely affected by the event. As of 5 p.m. ET, about 1,000 flights were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth International.
Apart from the effects recorded from the ice storm in Texas, Tennessee was also affected by the occurrence. The Nashville International Airport witnessed more than 1,00 flights being canceled due to the natural disaster.
Airlines Severely Affected By the Ice Storm
Airlines moving to and from the affected US states are also witnessing the effects of the ice storm. Canceled flights today are lower than seen yesterday, but airlines have recorded drastic losses within the past days of this disaster.
Southwest, American, and regional carriers Envoy Air and SkyWest were the most affected airlines in this disaster. The ice storm in Texas made state-based airlines such as Southwest cancel about 600 flights just within Tuesday evening. Other airlines, such as American Airlines, were included in the cancellation of flights. Most of the flights canceled by these airlines represented about 15 to 19 percent of their daily passengers.
To inform customers, airlines have been using different communication channels to spread the message about their cancellation of flights. Airports in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky received a waiver that alerted them of flight cancellations from January 30th to February 1st. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) also received a waiver from American Airlines that extended their air flight cancellation to February 2nd.
In a bid to create some damage control, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) tweeted, saying, "Airport runways, roadways, bridges, and pedestrian walkways have been and will continue to be treated for any potential ice to ensure safety." They assured users that their facilities were now fully equipped for the harsh winter weather.
The governor of Arkansas, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has also spoken on the matter, asking citizens to avoid travel if possible." I encourage Arkansans who are experiencing winter weather to avoid travel if possible and heed the warnings of local officials," she said.