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A massive winter storm slammed the nation over the weekend, forcing airlines to wipe out huge portions of their schedules and leaving travelers stranded across the country. More than 11,400 flights were canceled on Sunday alone, and industry trackers estimate the disruption will top nearly 20,000 cancellations through Monday as the system struggles to recover.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox’s The Big Weekend Show that his department is treating safety as the top priority while crews work around the clock to dig airports and highways out of the mess. Duffy was blunt about the strain on personnel and operations, telling viewers that controllers and ground crews are working overtime and that the government will act to protect travelers.
The storm snarled travel at major hubs from New York to the nation’s capital and through the South and Midwest, with LaGuardia, JFK and Reagan National among the hardest-hit airports and cascading effects hitting Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta. That kind of nationwide reach turns local delays into national chaos, as crews and schedules across the network fall out of sync and ripple effects multiply.
Airlines from the big legacy carriers to low-cost operators canceled thousands of flights and warned customers that rebooking options would be limited while crews and equipment remained bogged down. Travelers should expect delays, check directly with carriers for refunds and waivers, and be prepared for multi-day recovery timelines as airports work to clear runways and restore normal operations.
Let’s be clear: Secretary Duffy did the right thing by putting safety first and stepping into the national conversation with clear information and calm leadership. Conservatives should applaud officials who refuse to gamble with public safety, even while demanding accountability for why our infrastructure and staffing weren’t more resilient when this predictable winter weather arrived.
Washington must stop hiding behind tired talking points and start fixing the real problems — from brittle supply chains for deicing supplies to ensuring air traffic staffing and equipment are priorities, not afterthoughts. If we want to avoid repeat gridlock, Congress and the agencies need to fund commonsense measures, streamline hiring for critical posts, and stop allowing bureaucracy to undercut frontline workers who keep America moving.
Americans hit by these cancellations deserve practical help, honest answers, and an administration that backs its safety claims with action. In the meantime, hardworking families should check flights, avoid unnecessary travel, and give the crews clearing runways the respect they’ve earned; resilient citizens and competent leadership will get us through this storm together.
