Texas arctic blast: Dozens of flight cancelations, delays at Austin airport
AUSTIN, Texas - Crews at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport found themselves plowing snow and de-icing planes in order to keep the airport open on Monday. Despite that, thousands of travelers found themselves stuck in Austin due to bad weather elsewhere.
ABIA saw more than 120 flights canceled on Monday, Jan. 15, and so far, around 25 have been canceled for Tuesday, Jan. 16. But airport officials point out they were prepared for the weather in Austin, and operations have remained normal.
Rare lake-effect snow coated the tarmac in white early Monday, along with freezing rain and bone-chilling cold. Crews were out in full force plowing the runways and de-icing planes, and clearing roads and walkways.
"We have learned a lot from the last few freezes that we've had in the past three years. So we were ready," said airport spokesperson Elizabeth Ferrer.
"While there’s no question it's been brutally cold here at ABIA, it's actually the weather in other parts of the country that, in many cases, has kept the planes on the ground.
"As far as I know, there were no cancelations because of the weather here. It's really been because of, uh, weather elsewhere," said Ferrer.
In addition to Monday’s cancelations, more than 240 flights were delayed into and out of ABIA.
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"The text came in and said, you're canceled," said Shannon Rich, who’s trying to make it back to Tennessee.
They’ve been rebooked, but their departure time keeps getting later.
"We can't check our bags until four hours before our flight. So we're going to sit here and wait until 4," said Rich.
Chanel Monge of Austin is waiting for family that’s stuck in Nashville.
"The plane has just been circling around, taxiing around, unable to leave because of the ice on the runways," said Monge.
Outside the terminal, the frigid temperatures caused another issue. Exit kiosks for the red and blue garages were literally frozen for a few hours.
"Passengers were having to press the call button on the kiosks, and staff had to answer each of those calls and manually process the exits," said Ferrer.
That problem has been fixed.
If you’re scheduled to fly out Tuesday, you’re urged to check with your airline and allow plenty of time.
"Be patient and be able to adjust," said Ray Allen, who’s trying to make it back to the San Francisco Bay Area. "A lot of hurry up and wait."
Given the impact of the weather, airport officials advise arriving at least two and a half hours early. Also, keep an eye on road conditions that could slow you down getting there.