Winter Storm Having Major Impact At Philly International Airport
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The anticipated winter storm is impacting air travel to and from Philadelphia.
Philadelphia International Airport spokesperson Diane Gerace tells CBS 3 that a "vast majority of flights have been canceled this morning."
"If you're planning to fly today, please check with your carrier before you come to the airport," said Gerace.
Philadelphia International Airport's Mary Flannery says crews are ready to plow once the snow starts piling up. But clear runways are only one part of the equation. With the storm hitting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, it'll have a big effect on air travel.
"Since this is an event which is going to be on the East Coast, the airlines will juggle their operations and sequence their operations based on the whole East Coast," Flannery said.
For information on a specific flight, she recommends you check with the airport and your airline for the latest information.
"We do expect some delays, so we encourage people to check with your air carrier, or check with our website, call us up to see the status of your flight, or if you're picking up somebody from the airport," Flannery said. "It's my understanding that the airlines have permitted people to change their flights without penalty, but you'd have to check with your airline."
The storm is forecast to start as rain, so Flannery says crews won't be able to pretreat the runways with brine, since it would just be washed away. And that could complicate matters even after the last flake falls.
"We're hoping that the runways and the pavements will be dry," she said, "but if they're not, of course, they'll be freezing Thursday evening, so that would be a concern on Friday morning."
In advance of the storm, American Airlines has issued the following travel alert.
"Our travel alert currently covers 39 airports, including Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and allows customers whose travel plans are impacted to rebook without change fees through February 10th. Customers can reschedule their travel on aa.com by retrieving their reservation, or contact American reservations at 1-800-433-7300 in the U.S. or Canada. Customers are also urged to check the status of their flight on aa.com before heading to the airport."