After severe storms in the eastern United States earlier this week caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations, things appear to be calming down.
Powerful thunderstorms and a strong cold front created hazardous flying conditions, according to the National Weather Service. The Federal Aviation Administration has slowed or temporarily suspended flights along the East Coast due to bad weather, causing delays or cancellations at more than 50 airports across the country.
The partial government shutdown has also led to calls and even resignations from Transportation Security Administration employees, with security check queues at some airports reaching nearly two hours. On March 15, the CEOs of major airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways urged Congress to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security and advance bipartisan proposals to ensure federal aviation workers are paid during the shutdown.
According to a March 18 post from the Department of Homeland Security’s X account, more than 366 TSA employees have resigned. It’s unclear how many of those came from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Why was today’s flight canceled?
Flights were canceled earlier this week due to severe thunderstorms and weather conditions in the eastern United States. The ongoing government shutdown also appears to be affecting airports across the country.
Phoenix flight canceled
On February 26, 2025, an American Airlines plane flew over the downtown Phoenix skyline and landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
According to FlightAware, as of 2:30 pm on Wednesday, March 18, Sky Harbor Airport had seven flight cancellations and 185 flights delayed. Flights to and from New York, Salt Lake City, Atlanta and Albuquerque were the most disrupted.
These cancellations and delays are down compared to earlier in the week, with 87 flights canceled on March 16 and 594 flights delayed at Sky Harbor Airport.
The East Coast storm will still impact flights to and from Phoenix, as many aircraft operate between the city and airports in the affected areas. If a flight scheduled to Phoenix from New York, Chicago or Washington, D.C., is delayed or canceled due to local storms, return flights from Phoenix may also be delayed or canceled.
Do you have a tip or question you need answered? Contact the reporter: dina.kaur@arizonarepublic.com. follow @dina_kaur on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram @dina_kaur.
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This article originally appeared in The Arizona Republic: Nearly 200 flights delayed, canceled at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport today
