Almost 900 flights have been canceled in and out of DFW International Airport and another 100 at Dallas Love Field.
American Airlines and its regional carriers have canceled hundreds of flights in and out of DFW International Airport on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of forecasts that predict freezing temperatures and icy precipitation.
Nearly 900 flights in and out of DFW Airport have been scratched for Wednesday and another 700 have already been canceled for Thursday with temperatures below freezing moved into the area overnight Wednesday and are forecasted to stick around most of the day, according to Flightaware.com.
“This week’s winter storm is expected to have a significant impact on our operation, especially in Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW),” said American Airlines spokeswoman Yamleque in a statement. “The vast majority of impacted flights have been canceled in advance so we could proactively notify and accommodate our customers and avoid last-minute disruptions at the airport.”
Fort Worth-based American, which counts DFW as its largest hub, has issued a travel advisory for a dozen airports in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri. The advisory allows customers to rearrange flights without paying higher fares for the same routes at later dates.
DFW Airport spokesman Brian Brooks said airport staff is monitoring the weather along with the National Weather Service.
“Airport operations are prepared to begin treatment of runways and taxiways on the airfield, and bridges, overpasses and roadways on the landside of the airport, ensuring the safety of customers and employees,” he said in a statement.
The cancellations account for almost 60% of all flights in and out of DFW on Wednesday.
Southwest Airlines, which is headquartered at Dallas Love Field, has canceled about 75 flights systemwide and is monitoring the storm, Southwest spokeswoman Brandy King said. Dallas Love Field did say in a social media message that it is “monitoring the weather and stands ready to treat and clear surfaces to allow for safe operations.”
Nearly 100 flights in total had been canceled at Dallas Love Field and the FAA did issue ground stop warnings Wednesday morning for incoming traffic before lifting the restriction before noon. Another 70 flights at Love Field have been delayed.
So far, American has canceled about 8% of its flight schedule for Wednesday. Envoy Air, the regional carrier for American, has canceled nearly a quarter of its flights, more than 200 in all.
SkyWest, another regional carrier that flies for American, has cut more than 100 flights, mostly out of DFW and Denver International Airport, which is also forecast to get a round of winter weather Wednesday.