Flight Cancellations Pile Up At Detroit Metro Airport As Storm Hits Northeast
ROMULUS (WWJ/AP) - Flight cancellations are expected to pile up Tuesday at Detroit Metro Airport and elsewhere, as a massive winter storm is predicted to bring anywhere from a few inches to a couple of feet of snow to the Northeast.
More than 7,700 flights through Tuesday have already been canceled ahead of the massive storm. And the cancellations and delays are expected spill over into Wednesday, if not longer.
Reporting live from Metro Airport, WWJ's Mike Campbell said a number of inbound and outbound flights have been scrapped, mostly to and from airports in New York.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for a 250-mile stretch of the Northeast, meaning heavy, blowing snow and potential whiteout conditions. Forecasters warned that the wind could gust to 75 mph or more along the Massachusetts coast and up 50 mph farther inland.
Most major U.S. carriers said they would allow passengers ticketed to, from or through the Northeast on Tuesday to change their plans without getting hit by a reservation-change fee, typically $200.
Airlines are asking that if passengers have flights to the eastern U.S. coast to check with them first on the status of their flight. You can also check the CBS Detroit DTW Airport Tracker to see current flight statuses.
What some major airlines are reporting:
United Airlines will not fly Tuesday in New York, Boston or Philadelphia. Spokeswoman Mary Ryan said the airline has canceled all Tuesday flights at Newark, New Jersey, and New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.
American Airlines, its US Airways subsidiary and their regional affiliates plan to run a "very limited" schedule at LaGuardia, Kennedy, Newark, Boston and Philadelphia airports on Tuesday, said spokeswoman Andrea Huguely.
Delta Air Lines has already canceled 960 flights scheduled for Tuesday and expects to shut down at Boston's Logan Airport and offer limited flights at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, said spokesman Morgan Durrant. Durrant said Delta might also cancel some flights Wednesday morning.
Southwest has already canceled nearly 50 Wednesday flights, said spokesman Brad Hawkins.
Amtrak has also suspended rail service in the New England region and modified service Tuesday between New York and Washington.
Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast during traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar now at this link.
Sign up for severe weather text alerts: Text STORM to 95001
For daily weather forecast text alerts: Text FORECAST to 95001
TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
