More than 1,500 U.S. flights have been canceled Monday as airlines grapple with the impact of Hurricane Beryl making landfall in Texas.
Another roughly 2,500 flights were delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Most of the disrupted flights are those originating in or flying to Texas airports, including Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport, also in Houston.
United Airlines had the greatest number of canceled flights on Monday morning, with 413 cancellations, followed by Southwest with 345, FlightAware’s data shows.
Beryl made landfall as a Category 1 storm, with sustained winds of 74 to 95 miles per hour. Even a less powerful hurricane carries risks of flooding and storm surge, with forecasters predicting rain in affected parts of Texas of up to 12 inches.
In a statement to CBS News, United said it is largely suspending flights out of Houston on Monday, but will waive change fees and fare differences for passengers who want to reschedule their trips. United flights at IAH are suspended through at least 5 p.m. Eastern Time. “That will adjust based on conditions as the storm passes through,” the airline said.
Likewise, American Airlines told CBS News that it is suspending operations at Houston airports on Monday until about 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
“We’ll evaluate conditions tomorrow to determine if it’s safe to resume operations in the afternoon/evening,” American said in a statement, adding that customers can also rebook their tickets without change fees. The carrier said it doesn’t plan to change its Texas flight schedules in Austin, Brownsville, Harlingen or McAllen due to the storm.
Southwest Airlines said in a statement that it has canceled flights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Corpus Christi International Airport through noon on Monday. The carrier added that it expects schedule changes through Monday afternoon and urged customers to check their flight status for any disruptions.
—With reporting by CBS News’ Kris Van Cleave.