Storm Disrupts Over 3,000 Flights in Southern US
News Desk
Islamabad: A severe storm wreaked havoc on air travel across the southern United States on Friday, leading to the cancellation of more than 3,000 flights and causing significant delays, according to airlines and the tracking website FlightAware.
Delta Airlines reported that an unexpectedly severe winter weather event forced the closure of all five runways at Atlanta International Airport for over two hours.
“Delta canceled approximately 1,100 flights across our network,” the airline stated, adding that efforts were underway to restore operations heading into Saturday.
The storm also triggered a serious incident at Atlanta Airport when a Delta Boeing 757-300 had to abort takeoff due to an engine issue. More than 200 passengers and crew were evacuated via emergency slides, according to US media reports citing the airline.
Other airports hit hard by the storm included Dallas Fort Worth in Texas and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, with FlightAware reporting over 1,200 cancellations combined at the two locations.
In total, the tracking site recorded more than 3,000 flight cancellations across multiple airports on Friday.
This storm follows another winter weather system earlier in the week that swept across the central and eastern United States, claiming at least five lives and forcing hundreds of flight cancellations. Temperatures plunged below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) in several areas, leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity.
