72 Flights From Central Texas Cancelled as Severe Thunderstorms Hit

In Central Texas, 72 flights were canceled due to severe thunderstorms.

Major thunderstorms are currently affecting the US state and are resulting in lengthy delays. For instance, at Austin-Bergstrom International airport (AUS), more than 70 flights have been canceled for the day. Additionally, other airlines have been impacted.

72 Flights Cancelled

For those who have tickets for today's scheduled flights into and out of the US, it is best to avoid traveling through Texas. The US state of Texas is currently experiencing severe thunderstorms that are seriously disrupting flights at several airports.

On today, October 28th, Southwest Airlines (WN), an American low-cost carrier (LCC), canceled no fewer than 72 flights. Out of this total, 27 were arriving flights, and the remainder were scheduled to depart Austin. At 10:40 local time, the storm that led to the widespread flight cancellations made land in the vicinity of Austin-Bergstrom International. The airport advised users to give themselves plenty of time to get to the terminal in time for their flight.

The central and southeast regions of the Lone Star state are currently experiencing intense thunderstorm activity, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Command Center. The FAA has the primary responsibility of tracking air traffic operations in the National Air Space System (NAS). Dallas Forth-Worth International (DFW) and the regions of Austin, Houston, and San Antonio are the principal airports that are affected by bad weather. The Southwest as a whole would likely experience strong, localized storms with heavy rains, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Read also: Wet Weather and Cooler Temperatures in the Pacific Northwest to Continue Until November 

Canceled for Safety

For those in charge of an airline's operations, having 72 flights canceled in one day is not an easy task. However, safety is always given top priority by airlines. Therefore, aircrafts must remain on the ground when severe weather occurs.

Significant thunderstorms have the potential to shut down airports for hours or even days, in addition to disrupting flights. A few weeks ago, severe thunderstorms struck Florida, another US state, resulting in fatalities and the flooding of entire cities. Of course, the severe weather also had an impact on the state's flight operations. Numerous US airlines released storm waivers for several consecutive days due to the high risk. To protect their expensive assets, many carriers also relocated aircraft based at the airports of Florida to other hubs.

Although flight cancellations are a common source of anxiety and annoyance for passengers, it is crucial to emphasize that safety must always come first for both airlines and airports, Simple Flying reports.

Statistics and Historic Data

Current Statistics. According to the Aviation Safety Network, for the year 2022, there have been nine aircraft accidents so far with 202 fatalities. The average annual counts are 10 accidents with 209 fatalities. The count only involves commercial flights, such as passenger and cargo.

Worst Crash Ever: KLM Flight 4805, PAN AM Flight 1736. The collision of two 747s on a foggy runway with zero visibility on the Canary Island of Tenerife remains the deadliest crash in history, killing 583 people. The incident happened as a result of numerous errors in communication between the Air Traffic Control and the two flight crews, according to NOVA.

Related article: Tropical Activity Could Emerge in Atlantic or Caribbean Sea in November; Potential System Could Develop in US