US Winter Storm: Airlines cancel over 5,000 flights amid Christmas, holiday travel

The winter storms in the US have disrupted the holiday travel plans of people, causing cancellations and delays of thousands of flights operating to and from the airports in US.

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Airlines operating flights to and from the US cancelled over 5,000 flights on Friday amidst fierce winter storm. The cancellation of flights comes when the airports expect an increased number of travellers during the holiday season. The cancellation of flights from the United States has affected the flight operations of multiple companies and airlines. According to flight tracking website FlightAware, the cancellations come after roughly 2,700 flights were cancelled on Thursday, and almost 500 flights have already been cancelled for Saturday.

More than 32 percent of the flights run by American Airlines (AAL.O), United Airlines (UAL.O), Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), and Southwest Airlines were among the additional 8,000 U.S. flights that were delayed on Friday (LUV.N). On Friday, Alaska Airlines (ALK.N) cancelled 445 flights, or 57 percent of its scheduled flights, while Southwest cancelled 951, or roughly a quarter, of all of its flights.

As of 2:30 p.m. PST, 303 flights, or 54 percent of scheduled departures, have been cancelled from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Due to snow and ice, the FAA announced a ground halt there early on Friday. At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, more than 40 percent of departing flights were cancelled. At Portland International Airport, 67 percent of outgoing flights were cancelled.

A winter storm that forecasters said was practically unparalleled in its breadth caused power outages, blizzard conditions, and the cancellation of holiday festivities for tens of millions of Americans on Friday. The storm put about 60 percent of the country under some kind of winter weather alert or warning.

According to the National Weather Service, there were advisories or warnings in effect for more than 200 million people on Friday. One of the largest areas of winter weather warnings and advisories have ever been shown on the weather service's map, according to forecasts.

With inputs from agencies