Weather, violence, and political quarrelling have combined to make a real headache for American travelers this week.
Nearly 9,000 flights were canceled within, into, or out of the US on Sunday and Monday, according to data from FlightAware.
The vast majority of those came as a winter storm pummeled the northeast. More than 90% of flights out of Newark Liberty, Boston Logan, and LaGuardia Airports were canceled on Monday, with 89% canceled at JFK, per FlightAware.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani declared a state of emergency and issued a travel ban. It was also the city’s first blizzard warning for nine years.
By 7 a.m., at least 15 inches of snow had fallen at each of the three major airports serving the city, the National Weather Service said. Part of Long Island saw over 22 inches of snowfall.
With huge amounts of snow falling and bad weather expected to continue until at least Wednesday, disruptions are likely to be ongoing.
Mexican cartel violence hits flights
Meanwhile, anybody hoping to find some winter sun in Mexico may have had their hopes dashed.
Cartel violence erupted in parts of the country on Sunday after its military killed “El Mencho,” the leader of the Jalisco New Generation drug cartel.
Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco, is a particularly popular destination for US and Canadian tourists. Cars and stores were set on fire there, while airlines canceled 139 flights in and out of the resort town.
On Monday morning, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a press conference that the situation had de-escalated, saying that an extra 2,500 armed personnel had been sent to the state since the violence began.
With US citizens in Jalisco and other parts of Mexico advised to shelter in place, many tourists may be rethinking their plans. Some airlines waived change fees for flights to Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara through Wednesday.
TSA troubles persist
: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
If your flight isn’t canceled this week, it’s possible that getting to your gate could be more difficult than normal.
The partial government shutdown is also causing delays and confusion at airport security. Trouble began on February 14 after Democrats and the White House reached a stalemate over funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal officials said both TSA PreCheck and Global Entry would be suspended starting Sunday morning.
However, the Transportation Security Administration then said PreCheck — which lets travelers move through security faster — would actually still be available.
Los Angeles International Airport had posted on social media that it was diverting all PreCheck customers to general screening lanes, but later removed the post.
“As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case-by-case basis and adjust operations accordingly,” the DHS said in a statement.
Global Entry, which speeds up customs screening for fliers entering the US, is still suspended. DHS said officers assigned to process these travelers will be reassigned to process others.
The shutdown looks set to last longer still.
Republicans want an extra $64.4 billion in funding for DHS — including $10 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But Democrats want reforms in the wake of the turmoil in Minneapolis, as two people there were killed by ICE last month.
