Airlines begin digging out from storm in northeastern US

NEW YORK -- Lingering snow and subfreezing temperatures mean that travel delays in the Northeast will extend through Wednesday, even if the storm wasn't as bad as expected.

Airlines have already cancelled more than 500 flights for Wednesday, according to FlightAware.com. But that's a reprieve after more than 7,500 U.S. flights got scrubbed and another 3,100 ran late on Monday and Tuesday, mostly in the blizzard's path.

New York was spared the worst of the blizzard, but Boston was hit with more than two feet of snow. By Tuesday afternoon, airlines had already canceled one-fourth of the flights that would normally depart from Boston's Logan Airport on Wednesday, and subfreezing temperatures will mean tedious de-icing of the planes that do take off.



United Airlines canceled all flights through Wednesday in Boston and other New England airports, said spokeswoman Mary Ryan. United operates a hub with many connecting flights at Newark airport in New Jersey. Ryan said the airline planned limited arrivals there Tuesday night with a more complete schedule on Wednesday.

Delta Air Lines expected to fly a limited number of flights into New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports on Tuesday night, then resume service throughout the Northeast beginning Wednesday morning, according to spokesman Morgan Durrant. He said the airline expected to run about 80 percent of its usual schedule on Wednesday.

American Airlines resumed limited service to Philadelphia on Tuesday, with full service expected Wednesday morning, said spokeswoman Andrea Huguely. Flights at New York-area airports will resume Wednesday morning, and limited Boston flights will begin around noon with a full schedule by 3 p.m. local time, Huguely said.

Analysts have begun trying to put a price tag on the winter storm. Aviation data provider masFlight.com estimated that this week's cancelations had cost airlines about $10 million. The group's president, Tulinda Larsen, said that wouldn't be a big drag on the airlines' financial performance.

Thanks to cheaper fuel and steady travel demand, U.S. airlines are doing very well. On Tuesday, the parent company of American Airlines and US Airways reported that it earned $597 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.