Nearly 5,000 flight delays and hundreds of cancellations have left American travelers stranded at airports across the country.
On Dec. 29, U.S. airports reported 4,946 flight delays and 470 cancellations, with major hubs contributing heavily to the disruptions, Travel and Tour World reported. Chicago O’Hare International led with 623 delays and 65 cancellations, while Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International saw 316 delays and 130 cancellations.
Flight disruptions affected airports nationwide,
including Dallas/Fort Worth Intl with 295 delays and 22 cancellations, JFK with 247 delays and 20 cancellations, LAX with 227 delays and 20 cancellations, and Miami Intl with 221 delays and 17 cancellations. Orlando Intl recorded 256 delays and 25 cancellations, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood Intl 303 delays and 22 cancellations, Minneapolis–Saint Paul Intl 287 delays and 68 cancellations, Boston Logan 169 delays and 41 cancellations, LaGuardia 145 delays and 29 cancellations, and Detroit Metro 152 delays and 27 cancellations.Delays dominated over cancellations at most airports, pointing to network congestion rather than widespread schedule shutdowns. Delta, American, JetBlue, and Spirit were hit hardest across multiple hubs. Delta faced numerous delays and cancellations at ATL, MSP, DTW, LGA, JFK, LAX, BOS, MCO, FLL, and MIA. American had notable delays at MIA (111), DFW (190), LAX (33), and JFK (19). JetBlue
saw delays at JFK (112), BOS (65), FLL (78), and MCO (33), while Spirit experienced disruptions at FLL (74), MCO (35), and ORD (112 via SkyWest/Spirit). Other major carriers, including United, Southwest, and Alaska, were affected mostly by delays rather than cancellations.Due to the delays, travelers should anticipate longer gate holds and taxi-out times, especially at major hubs, along with a higher risk of missed connections from cascading delays. Rebooking and standby options may be limited
, particularly at busy airports. Short-haul and domestic routes are also experiencing disruptions.Passengers are advised to monitor airline apps and airport monitors closely for real-time updates.
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