Travelers faced major disruptions and cancellations at the start of the week on Monday, as the Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops at the world’s busiest airports, including Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The stoppages were issued due to weather and staffing issues at several of the major U.S. hubs.
U.S. Airports That Faced A Ground Stop On June 27
|
O’Hare International Airport |
|
Newark Liberty International Airport |
|
LaGuardia Airport |
|
John F. Kennedy International Airport |
|
Chicago Midway International Airport |
|
Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport |
Cancellations are set to continue on Tuesday, with the likes of JetBlue and Delta Air Lines already cancelling hundreds of flights at their New York hubs.
The FAA Issued A Ground Stop At O’Hare International Airport Due To Thunderstorms
There were 1,737 cancelled flights within, into, or out of the United States on Monday. Chicago O’Hare International Airport had the most cancellations due to thunderstorms. For both departures and arrivals, ORD exceeded 1,000 cancelled flights.
LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and John F. Kennedy International Airport also had increased delays due to ground stops issued by the Federal Aviation Administration because of staffing issues.
U.S. Airports With The Most Departure Cancellations On July 27
|
Rank |
Airport |
Cancellations |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
O’Hare International Airport |
531 |
|
2 |
LaGuardia Airport |
119 |
|
3 |
Newark Liberty International Airport |
82 |
|
4 |
Chicago Midway International Airport |
62 |
|
5 |
John F. Kennedy International Airport |
43 |
Delays were also high nationwide, with 9,034 within, into or out of the United States yesterday, according to FlightAware. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had the most departure delays at 491, affecting 39% of its total flight volume. The hub also faced a ground stop due to thunderstorms. The busiest airports in the world, ORD and ATL, both faced lengthy stoppages.
According to the FAA, the ground delay at ORD due to thunderstorms caused average delays of 438 minutes, creating travel chaos at the airport, which has the most flights worldwide in terms of volume.
Major airlines were impacted by the nationwide disruptions, particularly at ORD. Both American Airlines and United Airlines increased cancellations and offered passengers flexible rebooking.
How The Major U.S. Airlines Were Impacted By The Delays
The smaller regional airlines were most affected by cancellations; SkyWest ended Monday with the highest volume at 298 flights.
The major carriers also experienced cancellation and delay issues. United Airlines hit 234 cancelled flights while American trailed behind with 173 cancellations.
U.S. Airlines With The Most Cancelled Flights On July 27
|
Rank |
Airline |
Cancellations |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
SkyWest |
298 |
|
2 |
Republic |
268 |
|
3 |
United Airlines |
234 |
|
4 |
American Airlines |
173 |
American Airlines and United Airlines both offered flexible rebooking at several East Coast hubs. United’s rebooking offer is valid for flights on July 27, 2026, until July 30, 2026.
The airline wrote, “If your flight is affected, here are your options: You can reschedule your trip and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences. But, your new flight must be a United flight departing between July 27, 2026 and July 30, 2026. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”
Delta Air Lines is also offering rebooking for its New York hubs, which include Newark, NJ (EWR), White Plains, NY (HPN), New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK), and New York-La Guardia, NY (LGA).
American Airlines’ Eastern U.S. Airports Eligible For Flexible Rebooking On July 28
- Baltimore, Maryland (BWI)
- Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT)
- New York Kennedy, New York (JFK)
- New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA)
- Newark, New Jersey (EWR)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL)
- Washington Dulles, Washington D.C. (IAD)
- Washington Reagan, Washington D.C. (DCA)
- White Plains / Westchester County, New York (HPN)
United Airlines’ Eastern U.S. Airports Eligible For Flexible Rebooking On July 28
- Baltimore, MD, US (BWI)
- Washington, DC, US (DCA)
- Newark, NJ/New York, NY, US (EWR)
- Washington, DC, US (IAD)
- New York, NY, US (JFK)
- New York, NY, US (LGA)
- Philadelphia, PA, US (PHL)
Given the high volume of delays and cancellations to start the week, passengers expressed their frustrations online. For some, just arriving at the airport proved to be a task in itself.
How Travelers Reacted To The Disruptions At O’Hare International Airport
AJ LaTrace was one of the many customers to experience disruptions at ORD on Monday. The traveler advised others to leave early given the congestion on the way to the airport.
“If you’re trying to catch a flight to O’Hare this afternoon, leave extra early. The expressways are a mess and the Blue Line is crawling,” he wrote on X.
Traveler Peter Sterne also faced lengthy delays due to the staffing shortages at the major New York airports.
“Been sitting in the airport all day because JFK, LGA and Newark airports are all on a “ground stop” due to insufficient air traffic control staffing,” Sterne wrote on X.
The major airlines are set to face more cancellations. As of early Tuesday morning, JetBlue had 223 cancelled flights, with most cancellations affecting flights out of and into New York. High cancellations are expected nationwide due to possible thunderstorms and ongoing staffing shortages.
