During the Christmas holiday last year, major upticks in flight delays and cancellations began, due to inclement weather and airline workers calling in sick with omicron.
These air travel disruptions carried into the first half of this month. Although, after about the second week of January, things seemed to smooth out. Fewer reports made headlines of travelers being stuck at airports or unable to catch scheduled flights.
However, in some parts of the country, this is not the case. In fact, reports from Fox Business confirm that as a result of snowstorms, more people are dealing with renewed interruptions with air travel.
Snowstorms, Air Travel Interruptions, and More
On the nation’s East Coast, many Americans were faced with problems of heavy snowstorms. It’s gotten to be so bad that many folks are without electricity and are encountering white-out situations.
Of course, this has rendered air travel largely inoperable. Therefore, on Saturday, more than 4,500 flights were altogether grounded, while another 3,000 were subjected to delays.
🚨🇺🇸Powerful storm and snow hit #Massachusetts.
Over 3000 flights have been cancelled and more than 130,000 people are without power in Massachusetts. pic.twitter.com/Uz93ADkFs0— Terror Alarm (@terror_alarm) January 30, 2022
JetBlue Airways suffered the worst impacts, followed by American Airlines and Delta Airlines. Travelers who had flights going in or out of the John. F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City were most likely to have their flights cancelled.
As a result of white-outs and blizzards, many governors on the East Coast declared emergencies and urged residents to abstain from traveling.
A Smoother Road Ahead for Airlines?
There’s no denying that having to delay and cancel flights causes serious problems for airlines. This especially wasn’t fun for airlines or travelers during the holiday travel season.
With that in mind, many people are hoping that a smoother road lies ahead for airlines going forward. As the year progresses, snowstorms are much less likely to occur.
Aside from inclement weather causing issues for airlines, there’s also been conflict between airline workers and travelers. Sometimes these conflicts have to do with travelers getting into heated exchanges with one another.
Winter storm Jasper hitting the South and the East Coast, flight cancelled, temps plummeting
Don't get caught in the cold – snuggle up with the new slippers, robes, and blankets at https://t.co/qm3T6fJvz5 pic.twitter.com/BaUCAaEmI1
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) January 23, 2022
In other scenarios, there are disagreements between flight attendants and travelers on planes. In 2021, there were considerable numbers of outbursts, with some travelers even having to be arrested for their behavior while on aircraft.
Thus far, in 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration has cited fewer instances of trouble between travelers and airline staffers. At this point, and after all the issues that have emerged with air travel as of late, many people are hoping for a smoother road going forward.
Have you or someone you know been impacted by the winter storms on the East Coast or by the significant upticks in flights being delayed or grounded? Do you think airlines are going to have a smoother road ahead when it comes to traveling? Let us know in the comments area.
