Duffy says air travel to normalize by midweek amid storms

Investing.com -- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said air travel should return to normal by Wednesday following massive flight disruptions caused by a weekend winter storm that brought snow and ice across the country.

In a Monday interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Duffy explained that the Federal Aviation Administration needs two more days to fully recover from the disruptions.

"This storm is unique," Duffy said. "You get the ice and you get the snow and, on top of that, we have now a cold weather snap that comes after it. ... So it makes it more challenging to navigate the ice that's going over the last three days."

Sunday saw the largest number of flight cancellations since early 2020 when the Covid pandemic began. In total, airlines canceled more than 15,000 U.S. flights over the weekend, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

The disruptions continued Monday with over 4,000 flight cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays. Duffy cited ongoing challenges including runway clearing operations and reduced staffing due to difficult commuting conditions for workers.

"We're going to have more capacity as we come back to a full running schedule," Duffy said. "So you'll expect more full planes, more full flights as you fly this week, just as people are going to their destinations. But again, Wednesday is our target date to get back to normal."

Major U.S. airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have waived cancellation fees for customers.

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