Charlotte airport delays, cancellations linger, but post-storm service improves
After Winter Storm Gianna blanketed the Charlotte region with historic snowfall over the weekend, American Airlines— the area’s largest carrier — said it is returning to normal operations Monday.
More than 96% of about 580 scheduled flights for American Airlines will operate from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the company announced Monday. But there still are numerous delays and cancellations — as of 4:45 p.m. Monday, Charlotte Douglas had 101 cancellations and 431 delays for all airlines.
Still, that’s far fewer disruptions than from the weekend. The airport had 1,090 cancellations and 77 delays on Saturday, according to tracking site FlightAware. On Sunday, CLT had 859 cancellations, and 349 delays.
That’s a total of 2,375 flight disruptions for the two-day period.
All runways at CLT are open for Monday, and crews are continuing to treat the airfield.
American worked to keep its gates clear to avoid availability problems on Monday at the sixth-busiest airport in the world. The airline operates 90% of flights at CLT.
Weekend storm brings historic snowfall to Charlotte
Gianna was among the top five snowfalls in Charlotte history, according to the airline and the airport. Charlotte Douglas reported that the 11-inch snowfall, which tied the city’s Dec. 29, 1880, record, ranks as the fourth-highest for the Queen City.
The massive winter storm swept through the airport this weekend, and plunging temperatures well below freezing. The intense snowfall and slick runways forced the airfield to stop operations.
High-end snow accumulations of 16 inches were reported in the northern metro area, The Charlotte Observer reported. Daytime highs in the thirties and forties on Monday are expected to melt a lot of the snow, officials said.
With such hazardous conditions, air traffic controllers restricted aircraft movement. For safety, American Airlines canceled all flights on Saturday evening until crews could clear ice from the runways and surrounding roads.
Operations improve at Charlotte airport as temperatures rise
Warmer temperatures on Sunday made a big difference at the airport by extending the time anti-icing fluids can safely protect airplanes before takeoff. As a result, planes needed fewer deicing treatments, helping flight operations run more smoothly.
American Airlines expects conditions to remain favorable on Monday. The airline also worked with vendor partners and the airport to support snow removal and deicing.
“American’s team members worked around the clock this weekend to care for customers, safely operate as many flights as conditions allowed, and position the airline to recover quickly,” the airline said.
CLT is encouraging passengers to check directly with their airline for the latest flight information before coming to the airport.
This story was originally published February 2, 2026 at 11:20 AM.
