Thousands of flights across the southern United States have been canceled or delayed due to a dangerous ice storm sweeping through the region.

More disruption for Southwest

Almost 4,000 flights have been canceled in the United States since Tuesday morning, with Dallas (DFW, DAL), Austin (AUS), and Nashville (BNA) accounting for around half of the canceled departures.

American Airlines and Southwest have taken the brunt of the ice-induced disruptions, with 1,400 flights canceled through Wednesday and an additional 180 facing delays, according to Flight Aware. Around 50 American Airlines flights out of Dallas Fort Worth on Thursday have already been canceled.

Regional contractors Mesa Airlines and SkyWest, along with major carriers Delta Air Lines, Frontier, and United Airlines have also logged minor disruptions to their services.

Further delays likely

Last night, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that further snow could slow operations in Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida, potentially sweeping across North Texas, Nevada, and Arizona through Thursday morning. Further updates are expected later today.

American Airlines passengers booked to travel out of the affected cities between January 29 and February 2 can rearrange their flights free of charge on services until February 8, provided the origin and destination remain the same.

Southwest passengers on selected flights from Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma between January 30 and February 1 can also rebook with waived fees within 14 days of travel. American Airlines explained in a statement provided to Simple Flying,

“This week’s winter storm is having an impact on our operations, accounting for a significant number of cancellations. The vast majority of affected flights were canceled in advance so we could proactively notify and accommodate our customers and avoid last-minute disruptions at the airport.

“We apologize to our customers whose travel plans may be affected, and want to thank our team who are working tirelessly to help us safely care for our customers.”

"Based on current and forecasted weather conditions, our Teams have made schedule adjustments to support our operation at airports affected by Winter Storm Mara. Above all, our main focus is on the Safety of our Employees and Customers," noted a spokesperson for Southwest.

Photo: Denver International Airport

Continued issues

This week’s weather disruption is the latest setback for Southwest, which notably faced an operational meltdown in the wake of December’s winter storm. Over 16,000 flights were canceled through the holiday travel season, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at airports across the United States. Affected passengers subsequently received 25,000 reward points as a gesture of goodwill from the airline.

The prolonged disruption caught the attention of federal agencies and government officials, with Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Department of Transport (DoT) launching an inquiry into the incident.

In January, 15 senators probed the cancellations in a letter to Southwest chief executive Bob Jordan, raising questions over the carrier’s outdated flight scheduling systems, refunds, and compensation for affected passengers.

Jordan confirmed in an open follow-up statement that the carrier was working to mitigate future operational difficulties, taking on aviation consulting firm Oliver Wyman to assess the disruption and recommend changes.

Has your flight been affected by this week’s travel disruption? Let us know in the comments.

Sources: Reuters, Flight Aware