Topline
Flight delays in the U.S. rapidly surpassed 5,000 on Thursday afternoon, impacting Chicago and Boston airports the hardest as the National Weather Service warned of flash flooding in the Midwest and Northern Plains.
Inclement weather caused over 1,000 delays at Chicago O’Hare on Thursday.
Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Key Facts
Flight delays numbered 5,172 as of shortly before 3:30 p.m. EDT, according to FlightAware, with Chicago O’Hare International Airport alone accounting for well over 1,000 of the delays.
Boston Logan International Airport reported more than 350 flight delays and 24 cancellations, as the Federal Aviation Administration said runway construction has caused some arriving flights to be delayed an average of two hours and 16 minutes.
Chicago experienced heavy rainfall Thursday morning, according to the NWS, which forecast scattered thunderstorms and rain Thursday night.
Chicago Midway International Airport reported more than 200 delays.
Over 300 flights were canceled nationwide, with nearly 200 of those involving flights scheduled for into or out of O’Hare.
Boston Logan International Airport was hit with 356 flight delays and 24 cancellations, as the Federal Aviation Administration said runway construction has caused some arriving flights to be delayed an average of two hours and 16 minutes.
WHAT OTHER AIRPORTS HAVE SIGNIFICANT DELAYS
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport had notched more than 250 delays as the city’s temperatures neared the triple-digits. San Diego International Airport, despite enjoying favorable conditions and a forecast high of 74 degrees, logged over 220 delays. The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday a traffic management program was in effect at the airport due to volume, causing some arriving flights to experience delays of 40 minutes on average. Indianapolis International Airport recorded more than 60 delays as of Thursday afternoon as Indianapolis faces a flood watch effective at 10 p.m. EDT, according to the NWS.
Tangent
As the U.S. war against Iran has dragged on, oil prices have continued surging this month and set up travelers for higher airfares this holiday season. Katy Nastro, aviation and travel correspondent at Flighty, told Forbes, “The average traveler may be priced out of the holiday season,” noting it is a “fool’s errand” to believe flight prices will become affordable by the holidays.
Key Background
Delays at Chicago airports and others in the Midwest could continue into the weekend, as the NWS expects “waves of showers and storms” from Saturday morning to Monday.
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