Flight Cancellations On The Rise At Philadelphia International Airport As Round 2 Of Snow On The Way
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Flight cancellations are piling up like snow at Philadelphia International Airport. Nearly 50 flights were canceled on Sunday.
As of Monday morning, there have been 72 and that number is expected to rise.
"We currently have 72 cancellations that are relative to the overall traffic at the airport," Director of Communications at Philadelphia International Airport Florence Brown said. "That's actually not too bad. We still have about 70% of our flights still running as of right now 5:45 a.m., and we have one of our two primary runways open. We always keep at least one open so that all of that traffic can keep flowing."
Brown tells Eyewitness News crews are preparing for the next band of snow that's expected to come into the region.
"Our airport crews plow over 631 miles - lane miles - of runway, taxiways, and aprons. That's the equivalent of driving from Philadelphia to Lexington, Kentucky. So those kinds of preparations obviously take hours," Brown said. "There are two crews running at all times, and we're also making sure that the sidewalks and roadways are clear. So you have got a lot of people out there doing snow removal and de-icing operations."
She advises travelers to arrive early and check road conditions.
"Normally, we would advise passengers arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights, try to build in at least another hour to that. And also make sure to check your travel conditions prior to leaving. Make sure that the highways look good and that you are travel is secured on your way here," Brown said.
Travelers are also advised to check with their airline before heading out the door.
"Whether that's via your app or actually calling, we want to make sure that you're doing that. You can also visit PHL.org and our flight section will allow to you look at your flight conditions," Brown said.
Stay with CBS3, CBSN Philly and CBSPhilly.com for the latest on the storm.
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