Texas storms ground flights, delay thousands nationwide

Severe storms across Texas triggered a wave of flight delays and cancellations at airports nationwide Wednesday into Thursday. According to FlightAware data as of Wednesday evening, more than 3,600 flights had been delayed and 83 canceled nationwide, though those figures were expected to shift as airlines worked through the backlog.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was among the hardest hit, showing 693 delays in that same snapshot, after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for the airport and nearby Dallas Love Field Wednesday afternoon. The advisory was lifted once conditions improved, though the FAA reported departures still running roughly 45 minutes behind schedule as of Wednesday afternoon, with delays continuing to climb at that time.

According to FlightAware data as of Wednesday evening, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport had recorded the highest number of cancellations among affected airports, with 19, alongside 173 delays. Chicago O’Hare International Airport showed 260 delays and nine cancellations at that time, while Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport each showed more than 80 delays. Rankings shifted through the day as airlines worked to recover from the storm.

American Airlines had absorbed the largest share of the disruption among carriers as of that snapshot, with 577 delayed flights, a reflection of its heavy concentration of operations at Dallas-Fort Worth. United Airlines and regional carrier SkyWest also showed hundreds of delays apiece at the time data were pulled.

The disruptions stemmed from a broader storm system that has battered Texas for days. AccuWeather meteorologists reported more than a foot of rain fell across the Hill Country west of San Antonio, where a tornado touched down Wednesday amid a flash flood emergency. Gov. Greg Abbott confirmed two flood-related deaths in the region Thursday as rescue crews continued operations. The same storm system prompted a second consecutive day of ground stops at DFW and Love Field on Thursday, with delays at both airports averaging about 90 minutes as of Thursday afternoon.

Airlines urged passengers facing delays or cancellations to monitor flight status through their carrier’s app, rebook as soon as possible if a flight is canceled, and review refund and rebooking policies in the event of an overnight disruption.