Thousands Of Passengers Stranded In USA As Delta, American, JetBlue, Spirit, And Others Cancel 470 And Delay 4,946 Flights, Disrupting Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Orlando, Boston, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale And More

Published on December 29, 2025

Thousands Of Passengers Grounded In USA Today as 4,946 flights delayed and 470 cancelled, disrupting Chicago O’Hare Intl (623 delays, 65 cancellations), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Intl (316 delays, 130 cancellations), Dallas/Fort Worth Intl (295 delays, 22 cancellations), New York JFK (247 delays, 20 cancellations), Los Angeles Intl (227 delays, 20 cancellations), and Miami Intl (221 delays, 17 cancellations). More flight disruption was recorded at Orlando Intl (256 delays, 25 cancellations), Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood Intl (303 delays, 22 cancellations), Minneapolis–Saint Paul Intl (287 delays, 68 cancellations), Boston Logan Intl (169 delays, 41 cancellations), LaGuardia Airport (145 delays, 29 cancellations), and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (152 delays, 27 cancellations).
Among airlines most affected, Delta Air Lines (multiple cancellations and delays across ATL, MSP, DTW, LGA, JFK, LAX, BOS, MCO, FLL, MIA) and American Airlines (high delay volumes at MIA (111 delays), DFW (190 delays), LAX (33 delays), JFK (19 delays)) stood out, while JetBlue (notable delays at JFK (112), BOS (65), FLL (78), MCO (33)) and Spirit Airlines (significant delays at FLL (74), MCO (35), ORD (112 via SkyWest/Spirit mix)) also faced disruption. Popular carriers not among the most heavily impacted overall but still affected included United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines, primarily through delays rather than cancellations.

• Updated today: USA aviation saw 4,946 delays and 470 cancellations, with major hubs accounting for a significant but partial share of disruption.
• Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta emerged as the most delay- and cancellation-heavy airports among those tracked.
• Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue, and Spirit Airlines recorded the highest combined impact across multiple hubs.
• Delays far outweighed cancellations at most airports, indicating network congestion rather than mass schedule grounding.
• Leisure-heavy airports in Florida (Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Miami) experienced persistent delay pressure across multiple carriers.

Most Affected USA Airports

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

With 623 delays and 65 cancellations, O’Hare recorded the highest delay volume among the airports reviewed, driven largely by regional carriers and mainline operations from American and United.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

ATL posted 316 delays and 130 cancellations, making it the most cancellation-heavy airport in the dataset, with disruption concentrated around Delta and its regional partners.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

DFW experienced 295 delays and 22 cancellations, with American Airlines accounting for the bulk of delays, reflecting hub-scale operational congestion.

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

JFK logged 247 delays and 20 cancellations, with JetBlue responsible for a substantial share of delays and limited but concentrated cancellations among select international carriers.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX saw 227 delays and 20 cancellations, where Southwest and American led delay counts, while cancellations remained comparatively limited.

Airlines Most Affected by USA Flight Cancellations and Delays

Delta Air Lines

Delta recorded cancellations and delays across nearly every major hub, with especially high cancellation counts at ATL, MSP, DTW, and LGA.

American Airlines

American faced heavy delay volumes at DFW, MIA, LAX, and JFK, underscoring congestion across its largest hubs despite relatively fewer cancellations.

JetBlue

JetBlue was one of the most delay-affected carriers at JFK, BOS, FLL, and MCO, reflecting operational strain at its core markets.

Spirit Airlines

Spirit experienced significant delays at leisure-focused airports such as FLL and MCO, along with scattered cancellations.

Southwest Airlines

Southwest primarily faced delays rather than cancellations, notably at MCO, FLL, MIA, LAX, and ORD.

How travellers were impacted at major USA airports

• Expect longer gate holds and taxi-out times, particularly at large hubs.
• Increased likelihood of missed connections due to cascading delays.
• Greater pressure on rebooking and standby availability, especially at hub airports.
• Delays disproportionately affected short-haul and domestic routes.
• Travelers should monitor airline apps and airport boards closely for real-time updates.

Learn More

Overview of USA Flight Cancellations

Across the United States, 470 cancellations were recorded, with Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines collectively accounting for a substantial share. Airports such as Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Minneapolis–St. Paul, New York JFK, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Los Angeles appeared repeatedly among the most disrupted, highlighting systemic congestion at major hubs. While cancellations were unevenly distributed and often concentrated among a few carriers, delays were widespread, reinforcing that today’s disruptions in the USA was driven more by network saturation than large-scale shutdowns.

Image Source: AI

Source: Different airports and FlightAware