Charleston International Airport canceled more than 60 flights Sunday as winter weather stretching from Atlanta to the Northeast disrupted air travel across the eastern United States.

The cancellations affected nearly 40 arriving flights and at least 25 departing flights as of 6 p.m., according to flight tracking data. Major routes to Atlanta, Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York bore the brunt of the disruptions.

“We’re seeing significant impacts from weather systems affecting multiple hub airports that serve Charleston,” said Charleston County Aviation Authority spokesperson Janet Peele. “Passengers should check with their airlines before heading to the airport.”

The storm system, which brought snow and ice to parts of Georgia, the Carolinas, and states farther north, forced airlines to preemptively cancel flights rather than strand passengers or aircraft in affected cities.

Delta Air Lines, which operates Charleston’s busiest routes, canceled 18 flights including multiple daily services to Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. American Airlines scrapped 12 flights, primarily affecting connections through Charlotte and Philadelphia.

United Airlines canceled eight flights to and from Washington Dulles and Newark, while JetBlue suspended service to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport for most of Sunday.

The disruptions come during a typically slower travel period following the holiday season, but still affected hundreds of passengers trying to return home or begin business travel for the new year.

Charleston’s airport, which handled a record 5.1 million passengers in 2023, relies heavily on connections through southeastern and northeastern hub cities that bore the brunt of Sunday’s weather impacts.

“When Atlanta or Charlotte gets hit with weather, we feel it immediately,” Peele said. “About 70 percent of our passengers connect through those major hubs.”

The Charleston County Aviation Authority, which oversees airport operations, activated its emergency coordination procedures to assist stranded passengers and coordinate with airlines on rebooking efforts.

Temperatures in Charleston remained above freezing throughout Sunday, with partly cloudy skies and light winds. The Lowcountry saw no precipitation from the storm system that dumped snow and ice across interior portions of South Carolina and North Carolina.

However, the region’s geographic position makes it vulnerable to flight disruptions when weather strikes major airline hubs along the Eastern Seaboard.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops and delays for airports from Atlanta to Boston as the storm system moved through the region. Those restrictions cascaded to smaller airports like Charleston that depend on connections through affected cities.

Southwest Airlines, which operates point-to-point service from Charleston, canceled fewer flights than competitors with hub-and-spoke networks. The Dallas-based carrier scrapped four flights Sunday, all to cities directly in the storm’s path.

Spirit Airlines canceled six flights, while Alaska Airlines suspended its daily service to Reagan National Airport in Washington.

Passengers faced rebooking delays stretching into Tuesday as airlines worked to accommodate displaced travelers on limited available seats. The disruptions occurred during a period when many carriers operate reduced schedules compared to peak summer and holiday travel seasons.

Charleston’s airport advised passengers to contact their airlines directly for rebooking rather than visiting ticket counters, which experienced long lines throughout Sunday afternoon.

The Aviation Authority said it would waive parking fees for passengers whose flights were canceled and who needed to leave their vehicles overnight while awaiting rescheduled departures.

Local hotels near the airport reported increased bookings from stranded travelers, though demand remained manageable compared to disruptions during busier travel periods.

The weather system marked the first significant flight disruption of 2024 for Charleston International, which has experienced steady growth in passenger traffic and airline service in recent years.

Airlines typically recover quickly from weather-related cancellations, but the ripple effects can last several days as crews and aircraft return to their scheduled positions.

The National Weather Service forecast improving conditions across the affected region by Monday morning, though some airports may continue experiencing residual delays as operations return to normal.

For Charleston travelers, Monday’s forecast calls for partly sunny skies with temperatures reaching the mid-50s, conditions that should allow normal airport operations to resume.

The Aviation Authority urged passengers with Monday flights to check status before heading to the airport, as some cancellations may carry over into the new day as airlines work to reposition crews and aircraft.

The storm’s impact on Charleston flights underscores the interconnected nature of the national aviation system, where weather in one region can quickly affect airports hundreds of miles away.

As the region recovers from the winter weather disruption, other local government news continues to develop across the Charleston area, with municipal leaders preparing for the new year’s policy initiatives.