United States… Winter Storm Disrupts Holiday Season

American airlines canceled more than 4,400 flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday, amid a powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States coinciding with the start of the holiday travel season, which some expect to be the busiest ever. The “FlightAware” flight tracking website reported that more than 2,350 flights were canceled in the U.S. on Thursday, and another 2,120 flights on Friday, while Amtrak canceled dozens of train journeys over Christmas, disrupting travel plans for tens of thousands. Additionally, 8,450 more flights were delayed on Thursday, encompassing more than a third of the flights operated by American Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the winter storm caused a snowstorm in the Midwest, with significant travel disruptions expected in Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Delta Airlines, which canceled 140 flights on Thursday out of 4,400 and 90 flights on Friday according to “FlightAware,” warned that additional cancellations would be necessary on Friday as the storm continued to impact operations in Detroit and the Northeast. Amtrak announced it had canceled dozens of train services in the Midwest during Christmas due to the weather, including routes in Michigan, Illinois, and Missouri, as well as others between New York and Chicago. Additionally, American airlines announced this week that they would waive change fees and fare differences for passengers in several affected regions.