Thousands of Passengers Grounded Across US as American, Delta, United, Southwest, Horizon and More Airlines Cancel 63 Flights and Delay 3500 Causing Nationwide Turmoil and Disrupting Travel in Augusta, Boston, Bar Harbor, Chicago and Beyond

Published on October 22, 2025

Thousands of passengers were left stranded across the United States as bad weather and a federal administrative shutdown triggered widespread travel chaos, leading to 63 flight cancellations and 3,500 delays nationwide. Major airlines including American, Delta, United, Southwest, and Horizon struggled to maintain schedules as severe storms swept through key aviation corridors, grounding aircraft and disrupting operations in major cities such as Augusta, Boston, Bar Harbor, and Chicago, causing hours-long delays and confusion for travellers from coast to coast.

A wave of travel disruption swept across the United States yesterday as airlines cancelled 63 flights and delayed nearly 3,500, leaving thousands of passengers stranded from coast to coast. A combination of severe weather and a federal administrative shutdown crippled air operations, transforming airports into waiting zones filled with frustration, exhaustion, and uncertainty.

Nationwide Disruptions Bring Air Travel to a Halt

It started as a typical morning rush at major airports, but by midday, chaos spread through terminals as delays piled up one after another.
Flights from Boston to San Francisco and Seattle to Washington D.C. were either stuck on tarmacs or endlessly rescheduled.

• Boston Logan International (BOS): 7 cancellations and 84–135 delays, affecting up to 21% of flights.
• Chicago O’Hare (ORD): 5–6 cancellations, 235–246 delays, one of the highest nationwide at 18%.
• Newark Liberty (EWR): 3–6 cancellations, 70–118 delays, close to 20% of operations affected.
• John F. Kennedy (JFK): 2–3 cancellations, 65–87 delays, mostly long-haul connections hit hardest.
• LaGuardia (LGA): 3 cancellations and 54 delays, around 9% of flights disrupted.
• Houston Bush (IAH): 1 cancellation and about 98 delays, weather slowing southern routes.
• San Francisco (SFO): 1–2 cancellations, 82 delays, about 15% affected.
• Seattle-Tacoma (SEA): 1 cancellation and 90 delays, roughly 15% disrupted.
• Denver International (DEN): 1 cancellation and 92 delays, ripple effects reaching connecting hubs.
• Washington Dulles (IAD): 2 cancellations and 36 delays, minor yet widespread impacts.
• Reagan National (DCA): 2 cancellations, 63–84 delays, 21% of daily flights delayed.

By late afternoon, the domino effect reached smaller cities including Augusta, Bar Harbor, and Owls Head, where regional carriers had to ground flights due to cascading schedule backlogs.

Travellers Endure Long Waits and Missed Connections

Airports turned into makeshift hotels for thousands of stranded passengers. Many waited for hours, watching flight screens flicker from “delayed” to “rebooked.”
Families missed connecting flights, business travellers lost entire workdays, and some tourists were left without accommodation options.

• In Boston, travellers faced delays of up to five hours as thunderstorms disrupted departure schedules.
• Chicago O’Hare became a bottleneck for connecting flights across the Midwest, affecting routes to Detroit, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.
• Newark passengers endured repeated boarding calls and cancellations, while those in Houston reported delays caused by limited air traffic clearance.

Frustration rippled across social media, with travellers posting photos of packed terminals and long rebooking queues.

Airlines Scramble to Recover

Every major airline was affected, and operations spiralled into delays across multiple states.

• United Airlines reported 21 cancellations and 436 delays — the highest cancellation count.
• American Airlines faced six cancellations and 424 delays.
• Delta Air Lines had six cancellations and 299 delays, many tied to tight aircraft rotations.
• Southwest Airlines reported three cancellations and 484 delays — the most flight delays among all carriers.
• SkyWest Airlines dealt with three cancellations and 371 delays, impacting smaller airports.
• Envoy Air faced one cancellation and 113 delays.
• Horizon Air experienced one cancellation and 18 delays, primarily in the Pacific Northwest.

Most airlines announced plans to resume normal operations within 24 hours but warned that delays could continue into the next day due to aircraft repositioning and crew rest requirements.

What Caused the Breakdown

Two major factors crippled air travel across the nation: weather and the federal administrative shutdown.
Thunderstorms and poor visibility hit the Northeast and Midwest, forcing ground stops and route changes. Simultaneously, the shutdown caused staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and federal inspectors, reducing flight clearances and slowing coordination between airports.

Without full federal staffing, even minor weather disruptions quickly escalated into nationwide chaos. The FAA’s reduced operational flow meant aircraft spacing increased, leading to bottlenecks and fewer takeoffs per hour.

The Scene Inside Airports

By evening, airports resembled crowded bus stations. Passengers stretched across floors, lines at food counters grew long, and frustration mounted as updates trickled in slowly.
In Newark, passengers waiting for rebooking stood in lines stretching across terminals. In San Francisco, some travellers slept near charging stations, clutching carry-ons and half-eaten sandwiches.

Airport staff and flight crews worked overtime to manage growing crowds. Many airlines distributed meal vouchers and hotel coupons, but availability quickly ran out as the night wore on.

Airlines are cautiously optimistic about recovery within the next 36 hours, though weather forecasts suggest continued instability in parts of the Midwest and Northeast. Industry observers warn that if the federal administrative shutdown persists, these disruptions could become more frequent.

Thousands of passengers were grounded across the United States after bad weather and a federal administrative shutdown caused widespread chaos, forcing airlines like American, Delta, United, Southwest, and Horizon to cancel 63 flights and delay more than 3,500 nationwide.

Experts also raised concerns about upcoming holiday travel, predicting even greater chaos if staffing levels remain strained and weather conditions worsen.