SAN ANTONIO – If you looked at a flight information screen at San Antonio International Airport on Thursday, you probably saw “cancelled” and “delayed” all over it.
McKenna Kelley, a Delta Airline passenger, was originally scheduled to depart to South Carolina on Thursday.
“Everything’s canceled because of the weather,” Kelley said. “(Delta is) saying that the ice should be going out and moving out by tomorrow.”
The ice preventing Kelley from flying is in Atlanta where her flight was set to make a stop. Hundreds of other flights have also been affected in Atlanta by the winter weather.
“We’re just gonna go home and then try again tomorrow,” Kelley said. “We have a 5:30 a.m. flight, so that is better that we’re getting there at all.”
According to Flightaware.com, nearly 80 flights have been cancelled Thursday, and San Antonio International Airport officials warn more are expected.
“It’s going to be difficult,” Jesús Saenz, Director of Airports for the City of San Antonio said. “We’ll be gauging that every hour. We’re looking at the weather, and we’re looking at how much we can move.”
Even the few lucky planes that did depart Thursday had to be defrosted prior to leaving.
Kim Cleiborne and her husband are headed home to Nashville, Tennessee.
“I’ve been checking my phone all day, we’re on standby,” Cleiborne said.
The couple was nervous about Southwest Airlines cancelling their flight. Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that it would suspend all of its flight operations Thursday at its Dallas Love Field hub.
“So, when we got here, and they said our flight was the only one going home, I was really happy to hear that,” Cleiborne said.
According to Saenz, the Airport Operations group will continue to treat the airport runways with sand and chemicals to ensure safe departures and arrivals throughout the cold snap.
“It’s ensuring that we have, you know, the right amount of friction on our airfield at all times,” Saenz said. “We look at that and observe that every 15 (to) 20 minutes.”
As of Thursday afternoon, the runways at the San Antonio International Airport have not iced over and there are no plans to shut them down. However, the final decision to delay or cancel a flight is up to each airline.
For passengers traveling within the next 48 hours, airport officials advise to check the status of the flight directly with the airline before getting on the road.
To check your flight status, click here.