Over 1,600 U.S. flights canceled over winter storm
Over 1,600 U.S. flights canceled over winter storm (Getty Images)
More than 1,600 flights were canceled in the United States on Friday because of a big winter storm that caused power outages in 12 states, according to Reuters and Fox Business.
As of 9:12 a.m. ET, 1,643 flights were canceled, and 1,238 were delayed, according to the FlightAware website.
Delta Air Lines mentioned that they anticipate problems with their operations due to the Midwest weather, and Southwest Airlines warned about possible impacts on flights in Chicago, Detroit, and Omaha.
Many flights are likely to be delayed or canceled at airports such as Quad City International Airport (MLI), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), General Mitchell International Airport (MKE), and Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB).
Southwest Airlines canceled the most flights,355, followed by SkyWest with 275 cancellations. United canceled 258 flights, and some of these may extend to Saturday as they wait for approval to resume using Boeing's 737 MAX 9 jets.
A new batch of winter weather is coming after a dangerous storm brought almost a foot of snow and caused very low visibility in the central U.S. this week.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, a strong winter storm and a cold air mass colliding may lead to powerful winds and the chance of blizzard conditions.
Delaying caused not only by weather
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the temporary grounding of more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. The decision was made after an Alaska Airlines plane experienced an emergency landing due to the loss of part of the aircraft during the flight. The door plug, usually sealed off, separated from the plane mid-air. Later, it was found in a teacher's backyard. Passengers filed a legal case in Washington against Boeing.
