Travelers across the United States faced widespread flight delays and cancellations over the busy Thanksgiving weekend as a major snowstorm disrupted travel in the Midwest and Great Lakes, and software updates temporarily grounded a number of Airbus aircraft.
On Sunday morning, tracking site FlightAware reported 1,815 delayed flights and 490 cancellations nationwide. Airports in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Des Moines, Minneapolis, and Detroit were among the hardest hit. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings across a broad swath of the country from Montana to Ohio, warning of heavy snow, slow-moving traffic, and likely airport delays. Northern Iowa saw snowfall exceeding eight inches, while Chicago airports alone experienced more than 1,400 cancellations amid forecasts of up to 10 inches of snow in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Detroit also reported over 300 flight delays and dozens of cancellations as the storm moved through the area.
In addition to weather-related disruptions, the Federal Aviation Administration required software updates on thousands of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, temporarily affecting airline operations. JetBlue canceled roughly 70 flights on Sunday while completing updates on a portion of its fleet, with nearly 120 planes updated by morning and about 30 still pending. The airline warned that additional cancellations could occur as updates continued. Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines also confirmed FAA-mandated software installations on some of their Airbus aircraft, though both reported completing updates with minimal customer impact.
The combination of winter storms and technical requirements contributed to travel headaches for thousands of holiday passengers, highlighting the challenges of navigating air travel during peak periods and adverse conditions.