Charlotte Douglas flights stabilizing after heavy snow disruption

Flight operations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport are recovering after a winter storm dropped roughly 11 inches of snow on Saturday, January 31. The airport saw 939 cancellations and 149 delays on Saturday, followed by more than 800 cancellations on Sunday. A 300-person team cleared runways and taxiways, with all runways back open by Sunday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, disruptions had eased to 99 cancellations and 329 delays, and American Airlines said over 96% of about 580 scheduled Charlotte flights were set to operate.

Flight operations at Charlotte Douglas International Airport improved on Monday following a weekend winter storm that brought significant disruption. The storm deposited approximately 11 inches of snow in Charlotte on Saturday, January 31, triggering major operational impacts across airlines and airport facilities.

On Saturday, flight tracking data showed 939 cancellations and 149 delays at the airport. Many of the disrupted services were operated by American Airlines and its regional partners, including Piedmont, PSA, and Envoy. Conditions remained difficult on Sunday, with more than 800 additional cancellations reported by early morning and further delays across multiple carriers.

Airport officials mobilized a 300-person snow-removal team to keep runways, taxiways, and access roads serviceable. All three runways were reported open by Sunday afternoon, though the airport cautioned that schedules would continue to be affected as airlines worked to recover. External estimates indicated that combined cancellations and delays from Saturday through Monday exceeded 3,700.

By Monday afternoon, the situation had improved considerably. As of around 1:30 p.m., there were 99 cancellations and 329 delays. American Airlines also reported that more than 96% of its roughly 580 scheduled Charlotte flights were expected to operate on Monday, signaling a return toward normal operations. However, both the airline and the airport advised travelers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport due to ongoing residual disruptions.

In summary, a winter storm caused widespread cancellations and delays at Charlotte Douglas International Airport beginning Saturday, January 31. Extensive snow-clearing efforts helped restore runway availability by Sunday, and the operational picture continued to improve into Monday, though some delays and cancellations persisted. Passengers traveling through Charlotte were encouraged to monitor airline communications closely and confirm departure times before leaving for the airport.