(DALLAS) — A monster winter storm is fueling the worst travel day of the year — with more than 4,000 flights canceled Thursday morning as of 10 a.m. per FlightAware. This is the most flight cancellations in a single day this year.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was forced to suspend all departing and arriving flights on Thursday for at least a few hours due to ice and snow, according to the FAA.
“DFW confirms our runways are not operational while being treated for snow and ice,” the airport tweeted Thursday morning. “We anticipate reopening the first runway within the next hour.”
The airport currently holds the No. 1 spot for flight cancellations out of any airport in the world, with around 1,000 flights canceled Thursday.
Major U.S. airline hubs such as Chicago O’Hare International, Austin-Bergstrom International, and Dallas Love Field are also getting slammed by the arctic blast.
Austin-Bergstrom International and Dallas Love Field have already canceled more than 70% of their operations.
“Heavy snow and freezing rain is forecast today from Texas to New England,” the FAA warned. “Severe weather could impact parts of the South. Check with your airline for flight status.”
Southwest and American fliers are expected to see the most disruptions, with the airlines canceling almost 30% and 20% of their flights, respectively.
They have both issued winter weather waivers that allow passengers to change their flight with no penalty as the storm barrels across the nation.
Airports in the Northeast are bracing for flight disruptions Friday as the storm makes its way into the I-95 corridor.
This week’s storm is the latest travel nightmare in just a few weeks.
Last weekend thousands of fliers dealt with more than 5,000 flight cancellations as strong winds and heavy snow pummeled the East Coast.
At the start of the year, winter weather and the surge in omicron cases left many holiday-goers stranded for days.
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