More than 11,400 flights canceled Sunday as massive winter storm sweeps
across US
[January 26, 2026] By
MAE ANDERSON and RIO YAMAT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A massive winter storm made for a brutal travel
day Sunday, with widespread cancellations and delays at some of the
nation's busiest airports.
Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million
people — more than half the U.S. population — in a path stretching from
the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather
Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, the storm
moved into the Northeast Sunday, and was expected to dump about 1 to 2
feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and
Boston.
More than 11,400 flights were canceled on Sunday, according to
flight-tracking site FlightAware. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said
that as of Sunday morning, the storm is the highest experienced
cancellation event since the pandemic.
By Sunday afternoon, the majority of flights were canceled at busy
airports in the Northeast and elsewhere. LaGuardia Airport in New York
closed Sunday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation
Administration. The agency said on its website the busy Queens airport
grounded flights until 8 p.m.
In Philadelphia, 94% of flights, 326 flights, were canceled. Ninety-one
percent of flights, 436 flights, were canceled at LaGuardia Airport in
New York. New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport had 466
flights canceled, about 80% of flights, according to FlightAware.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport said on its website that all
airlines had canceled departing flights for the day, about 421 flights.
Significant disruptions also hit major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort
Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nation’s busiest
airport.
Allan Lengel of Detroit planned to return Monday from Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, where the temperature has been in the 80s. But he’s staying
until Wednesday after Delta suggested he change his reservation because
of the weather impact on flights.
“Can’t say I’m disappointed. Frankly, I had been thinking of returning
later because of frigid weather,” Lengel, 71, said, referring to
conditions in Michigan.
American Airlines had canceled over 1,790 flights for Sunday, about 55%
of its scheduled flights for Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta Air
Lines reported over 1,470 cancellations and Southwest Airlines reported
over 1,340 cancellations for the day, while United Airlines had about
1,016. JetBlue had more than 590 canceled flights, accounting for
roughly 72% of its schedule for the day.
Vikrant Vaze, a Dartmouth professor specializing in commercial aviation
logistics, said recovery from the storm cancellations and delays will
take days if not longer. And even for travelers who aren't in areas that
were directly affected by weather, cascading delays could still affect
their travel plans.
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Airport crew plow snow during a winter storm in Philadelphia,
Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
 “Because there are so many different
airlines involved, I think it’s going to come down heavily to the
individual airline's network structure, the extent of hit that each
of them has had, and just the intrinsic capacity of the airlines to
handle these massive disruptions,” he said.
What you do if your flight is canceled
If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer
service representative. If you’re still at home or at your hotel,
call or go online to connect to your airline’s reservations staff.
Either way, it helps to also research alternate flights while you
wait to talk to an agent.
Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional
charge, but it depends on the availability of open seats.
Other carriers' flights aren't always an option
You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another
carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including most of the biggest
carriers, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then,
it can be a hit or miss.
You are owed a refund for a cancellation
If your flight was canceled and you no longer want to take the trip,
or you’ve found another way to get to your destination, the airline
is legally required to refund your money — even if you bought a
non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was
canceled.
The airline might offer you a travel credit, but you are entitled to
a full refund. You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees,
seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.
___
Yamat reported from Las Vegas. AP writer Ed White in Detroit
contributed to this report.
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