Chicago winter storm stays an issue on busiest Thanksgiving vacation journey day at airports

Sunday was anticipated to be the largest journey day of the Thanksgiving vacation weekend at O’Hare International Airport, and the winter storm that socked the realm this weekend has been greater than disruptive.

As of Sunday morning, greater than 1,500 flights had been canceled at Midway and O’Hare worldwide airports. As of 6 a.m. Sunday, there had been 209 extra cancellations and about 50 delays at O’Hare, and eight cancellations and about 20 delays at Midway.

Transportation Security Administration officers mentioned Sunday was anticipated to be one of many greatest journey days within the historical past of the company. They mentioned they have been anticipating to display screen greater than 3 million vacationers nationwide on Sunday alone.

But the snow as of Sunday morning had already impacted 1000’s of individuals nationwide, so it stays to be seen how that quantity may be affected.

At Midway, a floor cease was issued till simply after 5 p.m. Saturday due to snow and ice.

Ground stops are applied by the Federal Aviation Administration, not by the airways themselves. The airport can be not chargeable for flight cancellations — they’re as much as the airways.

One traveler early Sunday morning mentioned she was shocked to see her worldwide flight departing on time. Sophia Gunnel is touring to Guatemala to check overseas, and he or she can be a local of that Central American nation.

She mentioned it’s a very massive journey for her, and now she goes in a snowstorm.

“Thankfully, you know, I saw all the cancellations and I thought it was going to be canceled, but no, thankfully it wasn’t. So I’m allowed to go,” Gunnel mentioned. “So there we go.”

Hundreds of crewmembers at each Chicago airports labored tirelessly this weekend to clear the roads and runways after hours upon hours of snowfall.

The cancellation numbers Sunday morning have been higher than what was seen in the identical timeframe Saturday.