A fresh wave of severe thunderstorms has unleashed new travel chaos across the United States, causing more than 500 flights to be delayed or canceled at three major airports—DFW, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa—just as the summer travel rush reaches its peak. Major carriers including American Airlines, Southwest, Delta, and United were among the hardest hit, with ground delays, rerouted aircraft, and airport congestion disrupting schedules from coast to coast. As storms swept through key southern hubs, ripple effects quickly spread nationwide, stranding passengers, overwhelming rebooking systems, and turning what should have been smooth holiday departures into long, frustrating ordeals.

By midday, a staggering 518 flights were either delayed or canceled across just these three airports, with the ripple effects stretching far beyond their terminals. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport alone reported 390 flight delays and 47 cancellations, making it the most severely affected. Fort Lauderdale followed with 28 cancellations and 14 delays, while Tampa International reported 21 cancellations and 18 delays tied directly to rainstorms and unstable weather.

Airlines Grapple With Mounting Disruptions

Envoy Air, a regional affiliate of American Airlines, saw the sharpest impact at DFW, where it canceled 24 flights—about 4% of its daily schedule—and delayed 61 more, accounting for 11% of its operations for the day. PSA Airlines, another American regional carrier, wasn’t far behind, canceling 14 flights and delaying 25, or one in five of its scheduled services.

Larger carriers weren’t spared either. American Airlines, the dominant player at DFW, clocked in a whopping 231 flight delays—roughly 20% of its day’s total operations—with 3 cancellations. SkyWest reported 6 cancellations and 16 delays, while Delta Air Lines managed 15 delayed flights from DFW alone. Smaller international players such as Air France, Qantas, and JetBlue also logged notable delays, though their operations at DFW are smaller in scale.

Adding to the frustration, United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Frontier, Spirit, Lufthansa, and even Korean Air all reported delays across DFW’s affected schedule. While some carriers escaped without cancellations, many of their flights faced time-consuming delays that rippled through the national airspace system.

Silver Airways Takes the Hardest Hit in Florida

In Florida, Silver Airways experienced a near-total disruption. The regional carrier scrapped all 28 of its scheduled flights out of Fort Lauderdale and 20 more out of Tampa, bringing its daily operation to a complete standstill at both airports. The airline has become particularly vulnerable to regional weather shifts due to its reliance on smaller aircraft and limited backup capacity.

At Fort Lauderdale, other airlines like JetBlue, Delta, Southwest, and United saw milder impacts, reporting a handful of minor delays. Still, with passengers already crowding terminals during summer’s peak travel window, even small hiccups have led to growing lines and frayed nerves.

At Tampa, the picture was just as chaotic. Alongside Silver Airways’ mass cancellations, American Airlines delayed seven flights, Southwest postponed six, and Virgin Atlantic—normally known for reliable long-haul services—faced a 50% delay rate on its limited operations for the day.

Weather Once Again the Root Cause

According to airport and airline sources, thunderstorms and heavy rain were the direct reasons behind the sweeping disruptions. North Texas and Florida are both known for sudden, severe summer weather, and today was no exception. Low cloud ceilings, lightning alerts, and gusty winds forced ground stops and slowed air traffic control clearances, cascading delays through every major carrier operating in the region.

The timing couldn’t be worse. With summer vacations in full swing, airports are already running at or above pre-pandemic passenger volumes. Many flights are fully booked, leaving stranded passengers with few rebooking options. Airport lounges have reached capacity, and standby lists are ballooning.

Passengers Face the Heat—Literally and Logistically

Across terminals at DFW, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa, frustrated passengers have taken to social media to document long security lines, packed gate areas, and a lack of available customer service agents. In some cases, travelers report waiting hours for hotel or meal vouchers or sleeping overnight on terminal chairs when rebooking options were unavailable.

One common issue: regional airlines like Envoy, PSA, and Silver operate the majority of short-haul feeder flights, meaning that disruptions with these carriers can create bottlenecks for onward connections. Missed meetings, canceled vacations, and spoiled weekend plans are becoming increasingly common side effects as the summer storm season settles in.

Full Flight Disruption Details:

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)

• Total delays: 390
• Total cancellations: 47
• Top affected airlines:
  • American Airlines: 3 canceled, 231 delayed (20%)
  • Envoy Air: 24 canceled, 61 delayed (11%)
  • PSA Airlines: 14 canceled, 25 delayed (20%)
  • SkyWest: 6 canceled, 16 delayed (9%)
  • Delta Air Lines: 15 delayed (21%)
  • United Airlines: 11 delayed (21%)
  • Alaska Airlines: 5 delayed (31%)
  • Air France: 2 delayed (100%)
  • JetBlue: 2 delayed (100%)
  • Qantas: 2 delayed (66%)
  • Lufthansa: 1 delayed (50%)
  • Spirit Airlines: 5 delayed (18%)
  • Frontier: 5 delayed (19%)
  • Korean Air: 1 delayed (33%)
  • Republic: 3 delayed (2%)
  • Sun Country Airlines: 1 delayed (14%)
  • Mesa Airlines: 3 delayed (60%)
  • Contour Airline: 1 delayed (16%)

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

• Total delays: 14
• Total cancellations: 28
• Top affected airlines:
  • Silver Airways: 28 canceled
  • JetBlue: 4 delayed (4%)
  • Southwest: 3 delayed (5%)
  • United Airlines: 1 delayed (2%)
  • Delta Air Lines: 1 delayed (1%)
  • Bahamasair: 1 delayed (16%)
  • American Airlines: 1 delayed (2%)
  • Western Air: 3 delayed (50%)

Tampa International Airport (TPA)

• Total delays: 18
• Total cancellations: 21
• Top affected airlines:
  • Silver Airways: 20 canceled
  • American Airlines: 7 delayed (9%)
  • Southwest: 6 delayed (4%)
  • United Airlines: 2 delayed (4%)
  • Delta Air Lines: 1 delayed (1%)
  • Breeze Airways: 1 delayed (6%)
  • Virgin Atlantic: 1 delayed (50%)

Severe summer storms have triggered widespread flight disruptions across the US, with more than 500 flights delayed or canceled at Dallas Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa as major airlines like American, Southwest, Delta, and United struggle to maintain operations during the peak travel rush.

No Immediate Relief in Sight

With forecasts showing more unstable weather patterns across Texas and Florida this week, aviation experts warn that today’s chaos might only be the beginning. Airlines have already started preemptively waiving change fees and issuing flexible travel policies to accommodate rebookings, but the system remains under strain.

As the weather continues to dominate flight schedules, travelers are being urged to stay connected to airline apps, sign up for real-time text alerts, and avoid last-minute airport arrivals. Flexibility and patience, for now, are the best travel companions.