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If you were hoping Winter Storm Fern’s departure sent U.S. air travel straight back to normal, bad news: the snow may have stopped, but the fallout is still very much airborne.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 5,000 U.S. flights had been canceled and thousands more delayed, according to FlightAware. Sunday was even worse, with the highest cancellation rate since the early days of the pandemic, as roughly 45 percent of scheduled flights were canceled. Airlines axed more than 15,000 flights over the weekend alone as snow, ice and a brutal cold snap slammed much of the eastern half of the country.
The short answer on recovery? Midweek—probably.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said yesterday that the Federal Aviation Administration is targeting Wednesday for flights to return to a “normal” schedule, though disruptions will likely carry into early next week. “This storm is unique,” Duffy told CNBC’s Squawk Box, pointing to the combination of snow, ice and lingering cold that’s made recovery slower than usual.
That timeline roughly matches what aviation experts are seeing on the ground. Cirium data suggests cancellations should drop to fewer than one percent by Tuesday, with operations largely stabilized by Wednesday. Still, “normal” won’t arrive everywhere at once. Some airports and airlines are recovering faster than others, depending on where planes and crews ended up after days of preemptive cancellations.
That’s also the primary reason that delays drag on even when skies are clear. When flights are canceled en masse, aircraft and crews wind up scattered across the country. To get a single plane off the ground, everything has to line up: the aircraft itself, a properly rested crew, completed maintenance, cleared runways and connecting passengers who actually made it to the airport. With just one link in that chain broken, the whole flight stalls.
Airlines are working to rebuild schedules. JetBlue, which saw nearly half of its flights canceled on Monday, added more than 35 extra flights across Monday and Tuesday to help stranded travelers rebook. American Airlines said five of its nine hubs were heavily impacted and that teams are working around the clock to restore operations. United reported that most customers affected by Sunday cancellations had already been rebooked by Monday afternoon.
For now, travelers should expect fuller planes, fewer backup options and lingering hiccups, especially in the Northeast. Airlines are prioritizing hub-to-hub and long-distance flights first, which leaves some smaller routes waiting longer to snap back.
If your flight is canceled and you decide not to travel, federal rules require airlines to offer a refund, regardless of ticket type. Otherwise, speed matters: rebook early, use airline apps instead of airport lines and pack as if a delay is still on the table.