Travel plans have hit a snag for many in Austin as a severe winter storm rolls through Texas, leading to numerous flight cancellations and delays. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has seen a cancellation of 69 flights with an additional 65 facing delays in Tuesday's icy grip, according to KVUE. A rare snow event has brought the unexpected winter weather to Central Texas, making travel to cities like Houston difficult, where major airports have ceased all flights starting at midnight Tuesday.
As flight operations across the region are to slowly resume, travelers are urged to frequently check their flight status and consider alternative methods of transportation. Austin airport officials have been swiftly working to keep the public informed, directing would-be passengers to look into buses, rental cars, and trains—options which might still allow them to circumnavigate the weather's harshest effects, yet they should exercise extreme caution on the potentially dangerous roads.
The freezing conditions haven't just affected air travel, with KXAN reporting the suspension of all parking trams at Austin's airport. "Due to weather conditions, all parking trams are temporarily suspended," said the airport via their X account. Passengers are encouraged to tread carefully toward the terminal due to the icy surfaces present.
Travel woes extended beyond Austin, as Houston grappled with the winter storm's fallout, leading to more than 600 canceled flights at its busiest airports. According to KXAN "Extremely hazardous road conditions" have halted flight operations at George Bush Intercontinental, William P. Hobby, and Ellington Airport, igniting rigor among airline officials to diligently monitor and assess the situation to when it's safe to reopen. As per FlightAware, these cancellations form part of a larger picture with over 2,000 flights canceled nationwide owing to adverse weather.
As Texas endures this frigid and rare weather event, both Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and airlines are doing their best to keep travelers informed and safe. They continue to advise everyone to verify their departure times before venturing to the airport, stay up to date with the latest from their airline and proceed with caution when on the move in these frosty conditions.
