A powerful winter storm that swept through the southern United States on Friday caused widespread travel disruptions, affecting more than 3,000 people. Flight canceled Thousands more were delayed, according to airlines and flight tracking website FlightAware.
Delta Air Lines was particularly hard-hit and said “winter weather was worse than expected” forcing the temporary closure of all five runways at Atlanta International Airport for more than two hours.
On Friday, the airline reported about 1,100 flight cancellations on its network as it worked to stabilize operations over the weekend.
A Delta Air Lines flight preparing to take off from Atlanta also faced a serious accident when engine problems forced the Boeing 757-300 to abort takeoff. More than 200 passengers and crew members evacuated the plane using emergency slides, a company statement said, according to U.S. media.
Other major airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas and Charlotte Douglas in North Carolina, also experienced significant disruptions. FlightAware reported more than 1,200 flight cancellations at these two airports alone.
More than 3,000 flights were canceled across the country on Friday.
The storm follows a winter system that struck earlier this week and killed at least five people and caused widespread power outages in central and eastern parts of the country.
Temperatures plummeted below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) in some areas, leaving tens of thousands without power.
