Flight cancellation numbers are dropping as travel starts to recover after a huge winter storm battered the US

"Air travel is showing more signs of recovery after Winter Storm Fern pummelled the country over the weekend. There were around 1,300 canceled flights within, into, or out of the US as of 6:20 a.m. ET on Tuesday, according to data from FlightAware. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport led the charge with 276, followed by Charlotte Douglas with 138. While more flights are likely to be canceled throughout the day, there were about 4,000 such cancellations early on Monday. The day ended with 6,250 canceled flights, per FlightAware. That compares to Sunday's 11,618 canceled flights."

"Sunday marked the worst day for air travel since the early days of the pandemic in March 2020, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Monday. He added that the government expects flight schedules to return to normal on Wednesday. "This storm is unique," he said. "You get the ice, and you get the snow, and on top of that, we have now a cold weather snap that comes after it." Airport and airline workers have also struggled to get to work due to the state of the roadways."

"On Monday evening, Heather Garboden, American Airlines' chief customer officer, wrote to customers saying the storm "continues to present travel challenges across the country." American has been the most-affected airline each day, including over 1,900 cancellations on Sunday, per FlightAware. Garboden added that five of the airline's nine hubs were "significantly impacted," including its largest at DFW, which saw "record-setting" weather conditions. And as the storm affected cities that don't generally experience such cold, many areas lacked the infrastructure to handle the heavy snow and ice."

Air travel is gradually recovering after Winter Storm Fern, with cancellations falling from 11,618 on Sunday to roughly 6,250 by Monday night and about 1,300 early Tuesday. Dallas-Fort Worth International and Charlotte Douglas were among the hardest-hit airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called Sunday the worst day since March 2020 and said schedules should return to normal on Wednesday. Airport and airline workers faced access problems because of hazardous road conditions. American Airlines suffered the most cancellations, exceeding 1,900 on Sunday, and reported five hubs significantly impacted, including record-setting conditions at DFW. Many affected cities lacked infrastructure for heavy snow and ice.

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