More Than 1,300 Flights Delayed And Canceled At Denver International Airport On Monday

The Colorado capital was battered by a winter storm on Monday.


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Yesterday, a winter storm led to the cancelation and delay of more than 1,300 flights to and from Denver International Airport (DEN).

Mass cancelations in Denver

Following a few days in which things seemed to settle down and return to normal in the United States, the Colorado capital was slammed with a storm and low visibility, leading to mass delays and cancelations on January 2.

In total, 1,026 flights were delayed, and 295 were canceled. Southwest Airlines had the highest number of cancelations, at 135, which amounted to 24% of the airline's operations in DEN. Regional carrier SkyWest had 130 flights canceled, totaling 40% of its daily operation. United Airlines had the highest number of delays, 358 flights, amounting to 69% of its daily flights.

Read more: Which Airlines Might We See Commence Operations In 2023?

According to the National Weather Service at Boulder, low visibility and icy conditions were the reasons for the mass disruptions in Denver.

“Unfortunately, we don’t expect the conditions to improve very much through the afternoon and evening."

Snow and freezing temperatures and the low visibility led Denver to be placed under a weather advisory until late in the day. Today is expected to be slightly warmer, with a forecasted high of 31ºF and a bit of sunshine.

More winter storms

Now that winter has officially begun, airports and airlines may be significantly affected throughout the US through the end of next month and maybe even into early February. Meteorologists are warning of a bomb cyclone forming off the west coast of the US that is supposed to hit California today and batter the western states until Friday.

A bomb cyclone is a rapidly intensifying storm caused by a sudden drop in atmospheric pressure, creating a low-pressure area subject to intensifying weather events. A similar storm slammed the Northeast and Midwest of the United States last week, leading to almost 25,000 flight cancelations between December 23-30. Of those nearly 25,000 flights, 14,796 were from Southwest Airlines.

Passenger Sues Southwest Airlines Over Meltdown Cancelations

After Southwest's meltdown last week, numerous passengers were stranded in airports with no idea when they would fly and if/when the airline would accommodate them on other flights. After days of disruptions, CEO Bob Jordan finally made a public statement, and the airline announced that it would reimburse passengers for reasonable expenses incurred.

A class action lawsuit was filed against Southwest on December 30 in a New Orleans Federal Court. When Southwest announced that it would reimburse passengers for reasonable expenses, it stated the fees included last-minute hotel accommodations, gas for rental cars, flights on other airlines, and dining.

Capdeville, the passenger that filed the suit, claims that he and his daughter were only offered travel credits after their flight was canceled on December 27, despite the promise of reimbursements. Capdeville hopes that he and other passengers in the same situation will be compensated through the lawsuit.