More than 1,000 flights canceled at DFW Airport, Love Field with winter storm ahead – dallasnews.com
Airlines have canceled more than 1,000 combined flights scheduled for Saturday at DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field ahead of a winter storm that is set to sweep through North Texas this weekend.
At DFW Airport, the central hub of American Airlines, the current cancellation total had reached over 1,200 flights by Friday afternoon, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Nearly half of those cancellations came from American, which has already slashed over 600 flights from its schedule.
Envoy Air and PSA Airlines, which are wholly owned subsidiaries of American, had already canceled a combined 344 flights on Saturday, according to FlightAware.
Nationwide, airlines had canceled more than 2,700 flights, with American and Dallas-based Southwest leading the number of scrapped trips.
Similarly, airlines had cut about 2,700 flights on Sunday with more than 500 of this going in and out of DFW Airport, according to Flightaware.
American said that it was adding nearly 1,800 extra seats at DFW on Friday, including flights to cities that anchor its network like Chicago and Phoenix. The airline is also adding more than 1,400 extra seats to flights arriving to DFW Airport following the storm on Sunday.
As of 2 p.m., operations were normal at DFW, according to a news release sent by Zachary Greiner, a spokesperson for the airport. The airport is encouraging travelers to monitor forecasts and add extra time for travel to the busy travel hub.
“Airport teams are actively supporting safe, efficient travel across the airport as conditions change,” said a statement.
“Crews are prepared to treat runways and taxiways on the airfield, as well as bridges, overpasses and roadways across airport property. The airport’s size and scale require a highly coordinated approach to winter weather preparedness, supported by significant infrastructure, equipment and around-the-clock staffing.”
Southwest Airlines, which is headquartered at Love Field, has already slashed 181 flights that were set to operate there on Saturday, FlightAware showed. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines also canceled three Saturday flights at Love Field, according to FlightAware.
Airlines could see major disruptions this weekend as the storm moves through. Both American and Southwest are already offering customers the opportunity to change their flights. The National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office has upgraded North Texas to a Winter Storm Warning, meaning there is increased confidence that winter precipitation is approaching.
