Northeast Storm Cancels Flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor

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A large number of flights were canceled at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on February 22 and 23, following a winter storm in the Northeast and violence in western Mexico. The blizzard brought heavy snowfall to the region, leading to flight cancellations to New York City, Boston, Newark, and Philadelphia. Separately, Sky Harbor is also experiencing cancellations due to a military operation that killed a cartel leader in Mexico.

Why it matters

The twin disruptions are affecting flights at Sky Harbor, one of the busiest airports in the United States. The Northeast storm and Mexican cartel violence are causing significant travel disruptions for passengers, with nearly 20% of departing flights from the U.S. canceled, an "exceedingly high" rate for Northeast airports.

The details

As of 9:45 a.m. on Monday, February 23, Sky Harbor had 67 cancellations and 32 delays, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Most of the cancellations were due to the blizzard on the East Coast, which brought up to two feet of snow to parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware, knocking out power in nearly half a million buildings. Separately, Sky Harbor is also experiencing cancellations because of violence in western Mexico after a military operation that killed cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho".

• On February 22 and 23, a large number of flights were canceled at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
• The blizzard in the Northeast was forecast to intensify on Monday, February 23.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Sky Harbor staff encourage passengers whose flights are disrupted to check their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport and following their airline for updates. American Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which operate most of Sky Harbor's flights, have flexible travel options for passengers affected by the Northeast winter storm.