Airlines Cancel Over 2,700 U.S. Flights as Winter Storm Sweeps South

Airlines canceled over 2,700 flights in the U.S. on Friday due to a rare winter storm hitting a wide swath of the South. 

Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth and Nashville experienced the most disruptions due to the storm. As of Friday afternoon, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had 452 cancellations, Charlotte Douglas International Airport had 349 cancellations, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport had 248 cancellations, and Nashville International Airport had 145 cancellations, according to FlightAware. 

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for Atlanta Friday morning, which is expected to remain in place until 2 p.m. ET. Earlier that morning, passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight departing for Minneapolis had to evacuate onto the snowy runway due to a reported engine problem that occurred as the plane was preparing for takeoff, according to the FAA. 

Four passengers reported minor injuries, according to a post on X from the Atlanta airport.

Delta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The storm, which spans from eastern Oklahoma to Virginia, is expected to leave the region with a heavy mix of snow and ice. Parts of Arkansas reported more than a foot of snow, whereas Atlanta is expected to receive one to four inches of snow. 

Earlier this week, another winter storm swept through parts of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., leaving up to a foot of snow in certain areas. 

Major airlines like American, Delta, United and Southwest also started issuing fee waivers for the winter weather.