HARLINGEN — A lingering winter storm is causing havoc with airline flight schedules, leading to thousands of cancellations and delays, including at Valley airports.
Valley International, McAllen and Brownsville-South Padre Island airports have all had flights canceled over the past two days, with a number of others delayed.
Most of the problems are originating in Dallas, although Austin-Bergstrom International Airport also is being severely affected.
As of mid-afternoon Wednesday, nearly 5,000 U.S. flights had been canceled over the past two days nationwide, with thousands more delayed.
American Airlines canceled more than 800 flights Wednesday, 28 percent of its daily flights, and Southwest Airlines canceled 672, about 17 percent of total daily flights.
Dallas-Fort Worth, Dallas Love Field and Austin had the most outbound flights canceled nationwide Wednesday, totaling 651, 197 and 176, respectively.
Here in the Valley, the Dallas and Austin disruptions have led to more than a dozen cancellations at Valley International Airport.
A couple of flights to and from Houston also were canceled.
On Tuesday, seven flights were canceled, and on Wednesday another seven flights never made it to VIA. When those inbound flights are canceled, so are the outbound flights.
“As you know, Dallas/Austin is going through very bad weather. All the flights from there to the Rio Grande Valley seem to be canceled,” Nico Mirman, director of air service, business development and ground handling at VIA, said via email Wednesday.
“It seems like Houston and the rest of the flights are doing fine,” he added. “Recommendation? Make sure that you double-check flight status with the airline’s website.”
The widespread problems across Central and East Texas aren’t going away soon. An ice-storm warning has been issued and the region can expect accumulations of between a quarter-inch and three-quarters of an inch of new ice through Thursday.
The ice already on the ground came in the form of sleet. But the next round, forecasters say, will be worse — freezing rain, which can accumulate faster and cause ice to be thicker.
