REUTERS/Elijah NouvelageWASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Airlines canceled more than 2,700 U.S. flights Thursday and Friday, disrupting holiday travel for thousands, as a powerful winter storm hit the United States.
The extreme weather coincided with the start of a holiday travel season that could be one of the busiest ever.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that the winter storm was bringing blizzard conditions to the Midwest with major travel disruptions expected in Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
More than 1,830 U.S. flights had been canceled Thursday and another 900 flights for Friday were scrapped, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
Last year's holiday period was marred by an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff that forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights.