Winter storms expose a travel system with no room for error

[marmar]

(Salon) For thousands of Americans, the post-Christmas weekend began with canceled flights, overcrowded terminals and the sinking realization that getting home after the holidays might take days, not hours. Winter storms sweeping across both coasts turned holiday travel into a test of patience and exposed just how brittle the system has become.

In New York and across the Northeast, snow and ice triggered hundreds of flight cancellations and delays at major airports like New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, leaving travelers stuck on terminal floors and glued to departure boards that kept changing by the minute. Roads slowed to a crawl as plows struggled to keep up, and officials urged drivers to stay home if possible.

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On the opposite coast, Southern California faced an even more destructive threat. Heavy rain from an atmospheric river system caused flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas still scarred by wildfires. Evacuation orders were issued as debris swept across roads and into neighborhoods, forcing emergency crews into constant response mode.

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Extreme weather alone doesn’t explain the scale of the disruption. The aviation system, in particular, entered this winter season already weakened, grappling with staffing shortages, aging infrastructure and budget cuts that have limited the federal government’s ability to absorb shocks. In addition, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently launched an initiative to bring air travel back to its “golden age” and civility that critics say focused more on appearances of its customers and less on what aviation actually needs for its infrastructure. ..................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/12/27/winter-storms-expose-a-travel-system-with-no-room-for-error/