Closed Houston airports may mean a faster travel recovery after storm
AI-assisted summaryWinter weather forced the closure of Houston’s two main airports, causing numerous flight cancellations, primarily impacting United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.Airlines proactively canceled flights ahead of the storm, anticipating operational disruptions and hazardous road conditions.The effectiveness of these preparations will depend on the speed of airfield and road clearance once the weather improves.Houston’s two main airports remained closed for winter weather on Tuesday, leading to hundreds of canceled flights.George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby closed at midnight Tuesday.United Airlines and Southwest Airlines both have major operations in Houston. Together with United’s regional partners, they were among the airlines most heavily affected by the Gulf Coast storm.For passengers, however, there was some warning and increased flexibility to alter their plans.Both airlines canceled most of the affected flights in advance, which should (hopefully) mean a smoother recovery once the storm clears.Why cancel flights in advance?Airlines often cancel flights in advance of severe weather.According to former airline executive officer Robert W. Mann, Jr., it’s because airlines typically have a good idea of how a storm will affect their operations.”Airlines anticipate the arrival and departure rates at the airport involved would not support their full schedule, so they prune back the schedule to the rate the (Federal Aviation Administration) can support based on weather and wind conditions.” Mann, president of R. W. Mann and Company, an independent airline consultancy, told USA TODAY.Houston’s airport authority said it was closing its facilities due to hazardous road conditions in the city, and Mann said that can be a big part of airlines’ decisions to cancel flights, too.”If it’s a storm where their customers or crew members cannot get to the airport to either fly or be served, that’s a reason to cut back the number of flights also,” he said. “You just can’t operate a full schedule under those circumstances.”Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental is a major hub for United Airlines, so flight cancellations there could affect flights across the country on United. Southwest also has a big operation at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, and although its not technically a hub, because Southwest operates on a point-to-point model, its closure still could have a big impact on the airline’s overall schedule today.Gulf storm flight cancellations:What are your rights if your flight is delayed or canceled?What passengers should expect nowIt remains to be seen if Southwest and United’s preparations paid off, and how quickly the airports can clear things out.“It’ll really depend on what happens on the airfield and on the roads surrounding Houston,” Mann said. “These are not cities and airports that are generally equipped to deal with five or six inches of snow, maybe not even one or two inches.”Still, if the airline and airports’ pre-planning worked, things should get back on track pretty quickly once the weather clears.”It’s a good test of planning and preparation, both from a snow-moving standpoint and from a deicing standpoint,” Mann said.Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at [email protected].
