Amid the Easter travel rush, several airports in the United States have started to feel the pressure of it as over 5600 flights were delayed only on Saturday, April 4. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), according to a news website, have seen multiple cancellations and delays amid the holiday rush.
As per the FlightAware data, the US airports saw as many as 5,600 and nearly 500 flight cancellations on Saturday, day after Good Friday. Over 7,000 delays and 550 flight cancellations were witnessed on Good Friday. A day before, America witnessed 8,400 flight delays and over 1,000 cancellations.
The Easter long weekend is typically one of the busiest travel times of the year across the country. In 2025, more than 4.5 million people had been expected to travel over the period, spending A$11.1 billion ($7.67 billion) on their trips, according to research firm Roy Morgan.
, severe thunderstorms sweeping across Texas and the southeastern United States triggered widespread travel disruptions. Major airports were hit hard.
At Dallas/Fort Worth, nearly 1,000 flights or about 45 per cent of the schedule were delayed a day after Good Friday, while Houston’s IAH experienced comparable setbacks. Delta’s Atlanta hub was also affected, the report mentioned.
In February last week, over amid a powerful winter storm pummeling northeastern US, from Maryland to Maine. At least 2,100 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, February 24, while more than 5,700 were cancelled on Monday, February 23.
Easter plans disrupted in Australia
Meanwhile, in Australia, many plans this year were disrupted by the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28 and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked global energy supplies.
Australia, which imports about 90 per cent of its fuel, has experienced localised shortages and seen prices soar, with diesel costing more than A$3 per litre and petrol more than A$2.50 last week before the government cut fuel taxes to help bring prices down.
The a few days after President Donald Trump signed a promised executive action to pay Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, hoping to help ease the plights of the passengers, after a bid to end the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security abruptly fell apart in Congress.
“America’s air travel system has reached its breaking point,” Trump said, adding, “I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security.”
He added that his administration would use “funds that have a reasonable and logical nexus to TSA operations” for the payments.
(With agency inputs)
