American Airlines sees record cancellations amid Winter Storm Fern; projects up to $200M hit

Winter Storm Fern caused large-scale disruptions for American Airlines across its network, with more than 9,000 flights canceled nationwide by Tuesday and a further 488 cancellations reported by Wednesday night. Operations were particularly affected at the airline’s Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) hub. American introduced temporary incentive pay to staff unassigned trips and worked through crew logistics issues to recover its schedule. The airline estimates a $150–$200 million revenue impact from the storm and reduced first‑quarter capacity by about 1.5 percentage points.

American Airlines has experienced extensive flight cancellations due to Winter Storm Fern, which brought ice and heavy snow to more than 30 states. The weather event disrupted operations across much of the airline’s network and was especially impactful at its Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) hub.

By Tuesday, more than 9,000 flights had been canceled nationwide, described as the largest weather‑related disturbance in American’s history and the most significant U.S. cancellation event since the pandemic. As of Wednesday night, a further 488 flights were canceled. During the same period, Delta and United recorded only 15 cancellations, highlighting the scale of the disruption faced by American.

American’s recovery has been complicated by crew logistics and operational constraints. Teams worked to reconnect with scheduling systems and secure hotel rooms and ground transportation for crews. To accelerate the return to normal operations, the airline introduced a temporary incentive pay program to encourage pilots and flight attendants to volunteer for unassigned trips.

The financial impact has been material. In its fourth‑quarter and full‑year 2025 update, American projected a revenue hit from Winter Storm Fern of approximately $150 million to $200 million. The airline also reduced its flown capacity for the first quarter by about 1.5 percentage points to account for the disruption.

As the carrier continues efforts to stabilize its operation, leadership from the Association of Professional Flight Attendants characterized the scale and complexity of the recovery as unprecedented within the airline’s experience. American Airlines reports it is continuing to restore its schedule and support crew operations while addressing the operational and financial effects of the storm.

Passengers should check their flight status frequently and monitor airline communications for rebooking options. Given the ongoing recovery efforts, additional cancellations may occur as the schedule is rebuilt.