Airlines Cancel Hundreds of Flights Ahead of Major U.S. Winter Storm

Major U.S. airlines have begun canceling flights and issuing fee‑free travel waivers as a massive winter storm bearing ice, snow and sub‑freezing temperatures is forecast to hit a 2,000‑mile stretch of the country this weekend. By Friday morning, FlightAware data showed 741 U.S. flights already canceled, with another 1,492 scrubbed for Saturday and 469 cancellations scheduled Sunday at Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport alone, indicating especially severe disruption in Texas. Delta said it is preemptively canceling flights at "select" airports in North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee and has expanded waivers to cover Boston, New York and Philadelphia, while American is allowing customers ticketed through 34 airports between January 23 and 25 to rebook once without fees if they keep the same origin and destination and rebook by January 25. United, Southwest and other carriers are offering similar waivers as they try to move aircraft and crews out of the storm’s path to avoid strandings and safety risks. The early wave of cancellations signals that travelers across the South and East can expect significant delays and potential multi‑day disruptions as the storm unfolds.