Chantal tropical storm: Travel chaos as over 100 flights cancelled with planes grounded at JFK, Dallas Fort Worth and O’Hare Airport
Over 100 flights are cancelled at major airports in the US due to a tropical storm.
More than 100 planes are grounded at JFK, Dallas Forth Worth and O’Hare airports as airlines including Spirit, Air Canada, Delta, and United are crippled by Storm Chantal. The tropical storm as brought flash flooding to the eastern states causing extensive system disruptions.
The pre-season system hit the coast in South Carolina before dissipating inland, but heavy rain, windy conditions, and poor visibility rendered major terminals inoperable. Chantal is the first named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season to make landfall in the US and touched down near Myrtle Beach over the weekend before weakening into a tropical depression.
It brought powerful winds up to 50 mph, torrential downpours, and intense cloud cover across the Carolinas and parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Its effects are continuing to ripple through air traffic systems.
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City saw 29 cancellations and more than 200 delays. Delta and JetBlue experienced severe operational disruptions, but Endeavor Air was affected the most as it had to cancel 22 of its scheduled flights—16% of its JFK departures.
In Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) experienced even more severe disruption. A total of 17 flights were cancelled, and delays reached 629 flights, creating gridlock in terminals and long rebooking lines. American Airlines alone reported 328 delayed flights, while regional operator Envoy Air faced 9 cancellations and nearly 150 delays.
Spirit Airlines, Frontier, and Alaska Airlines also experienced ripple effects, with 28% of Spirit flights facing delays. At the same time, Chicago O’Hare (ORD) experienced 21 cancellations, and they were led by SkyWest, United, and American Airlines in terms of operational freeze.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) cancelled 9 flights, while George Bush Intercontinental in Houston (IAH) saw 8 cancellations. American, United, Delta, and regional partners like GoJet and Republic Airways faced the brunt of the storm’s tail-end turbulence.
Though Tropical Storm Chantal has weakened, forecasters warn that remnants of instability and scattered cloud systems will continue to hold back recovery efforts through Tuesday. Airlines have issued weather waivers allowing passengers to reschedule flights without additional fees. However, availability remains limited, especially for routes that are already operating near capacity during the busy summer travel season.
Passengers traveling in or out of JFK, DFW, O’Hare, Newark, Houston, or Charlotte in the next 48 hours are advised to:
- Check flight status early and often
- Use airline mobile apps for quicker rebooking options
- Get to airports early as processing takes longer
- Think about rebooking by smaller regional airports if it’s possible