Severe Winter Storm Disturbs Holiday Travel: Nationwide Flight Delays Reach 4,946
On December 28-29, 2025, severe winter weather caused significant disruptions for thousands of holiday travelers. This resulted in 470 flight cancellations and 4,946 delays across major U.S. airports during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. The Transportation Security Administration had projected December 28 to be the peak travel day, with approximately 2.86 million passengers passing through security checkpoints nationwide.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport reported the highest impact with 623 delays and 65 cancellations. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport wasn’t far behind, experiencing 316 delays and 130 cancellations. Other major hubs significantly affected included:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul (287 delays, 68 cancellations)
- Dallas/Fort Worth (295 delays, 22 cancellations)
- New York’s JFK (247 delays, 20 cancellations)
Delta Air Lines and American Airlines were among the carriers most impacted by the weather-related disruptions.
The winter storm, which brought blizzard conditions and heavy snow to the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, affected more than 30 million people under winter weather alerts. Despite the challenges, AAA had projected a record-breaking 122.4 million Americans would travel during the year-end holiday period from December 20 through January 1—a 2.2% increase over 2024’s previous record.
Source: Travel and Tour World