LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After a day in which air travel was interrupted by ice and snow, flights resumed Friday at Kentucky airports.
As of 11 a.m. Friday, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) was buzzing with activity that was largely absent Thursday. The security line was full and a steady stream of travelers entered the terminals.
The first flights from the airport left at 10 a.m. after the cancellation of morning flights from the airport.
“This afternoon, it looks like flight times are pretty close to normal; however, this is always subject to change,” airport spokeswoman Natalie Chaudoin said.
Chaudoin encouraged travelers to stay up to date with their flight details through their airline, as they are the ones who cancel or delay flights. On Thursday, SDF recorded 136 cancellations. As of midday on Friday, the number stood at 41, according to flight-tracking service Flight Aware.
After a canceled flight, Steve Shaw waits to return to Texas. (Spectrum News 1 KY/Adam K. Raymond)
Steve Shaw is among those affected by the cancellations. His 12:30 p.m. Friday flight to Houston, which included a layover in Dallas, was canceled. He was rescheduled for a return flight at 4:15 a.m. Instead of stopping in Dallas, he will change flights in Orlando.
Shaw said the cancellation was a minor inconvenience that was out of everyone’s control. “I’m always on time,” he added.
Flights also resume Friday at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, which canceled all flights Thursday morning, and at CVG Airport in northern Kentucky. CVG, which also serves Cincinnati, had 56 cancellations as of noon Friday, compared to 211 all Thursday. The flight status page on the CVG website shows that most flights due to depart after 12:00 p.m. on Fridays are on time.
“We’re open and operational, so planes are coming in and out,” said CVG airport spokeswoman Mindy Kershner. She credited the round-the-clock work of the airport’s winter operations team to ensure roads and runways were clear for travelers and aircraft.
As the weather improves in the middle of the county, the same storm that hit Kentucky is pounding the east coast. That led to a wave of cancellations at airports such as New York’s Laguardia, which had 381 cancellations as of midday Friday, according to Flight Aware. More than 450 flights have been canceled at Boston’s Logan International Airport, up from just 159 on Thursday.
Chaudoin said travelers from Louisville heading east should be prepared for possible disruptions. “The weather in one part of the country can have a domino effect on air travel,” she said. “For anyone traveling to the East Coast where winter weather is heading, we recommend that they also monitor their flight status for any further changes.”
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