Houston Airports Brace for Winter Storm: Flights Halted for Safety

In Texas, three major airports near Houston are set to close for a day due to harsh winter weather. Houston Airports, which manages these airports, announced that all flights will be suspended from midnight on January 21. This decision is made to ensure safety with hazardous road conditions expected across the city. Airports such as George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), and Ellington Airport/Houston Spaceport (EFD) will all be affected. The weather forecast is grim, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing a freeze warning for some parts of Houston. Temperatures are expected to drop to the low 20s, making roads extremely slippery. NWS advises residents to avoid traveling as road conditions could be dangerous or even impossible. Airlines have been affected too. Nearly 10, 000 flights have been disrupted across the United States, with American Airlines and Southwest Airlines being the most impacted. About 644 flights were scheduled to depart from Houston-Intercontinental and Houston-Hobby airports alone on January 21. United Airlines, whose hub is at Houston-Intercontinental, accounts for the majority of these flights, while Southwest Airlines has a major base at Houston-Hobby. To help passengers, airlines have issued travel alerts and are offering free changes to bookings affected by the weather. This isn’t the first time severe winter weather has caused major disruptions. In December 2022, Southwest Airlines had to cancel over 16, 000 flights, leading to a $140 million fine from the US Department of Transportation.