WASHINGTON (The COW News Digital) Air travel disruptions across the United States continued on Saturday, with more than 6,000 flights cancelled and thousands more delayed, leaving passengers stranded at major airports despite the reopening of American airspace.
According to flight-tracking data from FlightAware, a total of 6,228 flights arriving in or departing from the United States were cancelled on Saturday, while another 7,542 experienced delays.
The scale of disruption exceeded earlier estimates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), highlighting the continuing challenges facing the country’s aviation network.
Globally, airlines recorded 6,843 cancellations and nearly 20,000 flight delays, reflecting the wider impact of the disruption on international air travel.
Some of the worst conditions were reported at major airports in Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta and New York, where thousands of passengers faced lengthy waiting times and unexpected travel changes.
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport recorded more than 559 cancelled flights, while Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport reported 479 cancellations.
Operations were also heavily affected at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, where hundreds of flights were disrupted. Some passengers were forced to spend the night at airports as airlines struggled to rearrange their schedules.
Among major carriers, JetBlue was reportedly the worst affected, with approximately 45 per cent of its scheduled flights cancelled.
American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines also cancelled around a quarter of their scheduled services, adding to the growing disruption across the aviation sector.
Airlines have been offering affected passengers alternative travel dates without additional fees as they attempt to manage the backlog and accommodate stranded travellers.
The US Department of Transportation has confirmed that American airspace remains open and flights can operate safely. However, the process of restoring normal services has been complicated by aircraft repositioning, crew availability and passenger rebooking challenges.
Although the immediate technical disruption has eased, airlines are still dealing with the operational consequences of the widespread cancellations.
Authorities expect airline schedules to move closer to normal by Sunday night. However, passengers have been warned to remain prepared for further cancellations and delays while airlines work to restore their regular operations.
The continuing disruption has highlighted the vulnerability of the US aviation network to major operational failures, with thousands of travellers still facing uncertainty over their journeys.
