Imagine going to the airport only to find your flight canceled. Nothing quite makes one hate their life and luck more than such an incident. However, today things are different because if you look around, you will find that most flights have been canceled.
As a result, passengers have been facing a lot of trouble. Many have reported being stranded at airports and missing important or urgent appointments. People flying due to medical needs have expressed severe frustration due to the canceled flights. However, the cancelation is due to a reason that won’t startle you.
Flights have been canceled in the country due to a major impending tornado scheduled to plague the eastern USA. Already, severe thunderstorms have begun disrupting lives in Maryland, Virginia, and the Mid-Atlantic states. More than 2600 US flights have been canceled, and 7,700 US flights have also been delayed. People flying in or out of the East Coast have been advised to check with their airlines for cancelations.
Why Are Flights Cancelled Today?
Flights are being canceled due to weather forecasts warning of an impending tornado all across the eastern US. It is reported that fast-moving thunderstorms and high-octane winds have already destroyed around 200,000 homes in Maryland and Virginia by upending power there.
Trees have also fallen, and power has been lost in the Mid-Atlantic and southern states of about 800,000 people. There are also warnings of damaging hailstones. As a result of this calamity, departing flights remained grounded in Washington, Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore as per the instructions of the Federal Aviation Administration.
It is estimated that upwards of 2600 US flights have been canceled. This includes the 35 at Washington Dulles and 102 at Washington Reagan National Airport. Apart from this, 7,700 US flights have also got delayed. Authorities also rerouted several aircraft due to the storms. Apart from planes, other federal services like the national zoo, museums, libraries, and pools were closed early in Washington.
New York’s LaGuardia was severely impacted, with 39 delayed and 21 canceled flights. Also, Delta Air Lines had 100 cancelations, which was around 3% of its total schedule. Airports like Boston Logan and Newark Liberty also faced cancelations. The Federal Aviation Administration said:
“The FAA is rerouting aircraft around the storms heading to the East Coast as much as possible. Soon we will likely have to pause departures in and out of East Coast airports.”
However, the weather and sudden storms aren’t the only thing plaguing flights. Many sites have reported that staffing shortages have severely hit airlines and air traffic control. The flight cancelations and delays due to such reasons have been steadily growing. The Federal Aviation Administration had recently said it was operating on limited capacity to direct NY flights north through Canadian airspace due to staffing problems in the northern neighbors.
East Coast flyers, whether into or out of, should especially check with their airlines about possible delays. Passengers need to remember that many airlines do offer weather waivers. However, that’s uncommon overall. Also, if the flight gets canceled for any reason, they can get a refund if they choose not to travel with the rebooking options given.
Did you end up missing any flights?
What’s the delay status from your airport? Did you rebook, or will you request a refund for your canceled flight?
Let us know your current plans and situation in the comments below.
Source: CNN
