Adverse weather conditions have disrupted travel plans for numerous American holidaymakers in recent days, with winter weather hitting the Midwest.
Christmas, a peak travel period, saw seven million Americans waking up to severe weather alerts on Christmas morning. The region is expected to experience heavy snow and freezing rain until Wednesday.
Over the past 48 hours, states like Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska have witnessed significant snowfall, with accumulations exceeding eight inches. Consequently, nearly 1,700 flights were delayed, and 50 flights were canceled, causing widespread disruptions for thousands of travelers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took precautionary measures by implementing a ground stop at Denver International Airport at 07:00 on Boxing Day morning, affecting more than 300 flights and resulting in 20 cancellations.
Although the ground stop was lifted shortly afterward, departing flights faced extended gate holds and delayed taxiing, adding approximately 15 minutes to the departure process.
Arriving flights also experienced similar delays of around 15 minutes, contributing to chaos for the 600,000 passengers navigating through the airport on Boxing Day—one of the airport's busiest days during the Christmas period.
Reports from the Denver Post highlight that cancellations and delays primarily impacted Skywest, Southwest, and United Airlines. Southwest Airlines bore the brunt of the disruptions at Denver International Airport, with over 120 flights delayed on December 26th, followed closely by United Airlines, a Star Alliance member, with 107 flights running behind schedule. Both airlines operate extensive networks from the Colorado airport.
