President Trump signed a funding package Tuesday afternoon, ending a four-day partial government shutdown that had furloughed over 10,000 Federal Aviation Administration workers. The timing could not have been worse for travelers already reeling from Winter Storm Gianna, which dumped historic snowfall across the Southeast and caused more than 3,700 flight cancellations over the weekend.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport bore the brunt of the chaos. The bomb cyclone dropped 11 inches of snow at the airport, matching a single-day record set in 1880, and forced American Airlines to cancel roughly 86% of its scheduled operations on Saturday. By Sunday, over 1,800 flights into and out of Charlotte had been scrubbed from the boards. A 300-member snow team worked around the clock to clear runways, but with wind chills plunging to negative one degree Fahrenheit, conditions remained treacherous for days.
The storm hit the Carolinas particularly hard. A 100-vehicle pileup shut down Interstate 85 near Kannapolis, North Carolina, prompting the National Guard to rescue stranded motorists. At least two people died in weather-related traffic incidents in North Carolina, and hundreds of crashes were reported statewide. Airports in Wilmington, Norfolk, and Myrtle Beach saw complete shutdowns, with some reporting 100% cancellation rates.
Today, disruptions continue rippling through the system. Over 1,600 flights have been delayed and 60 cancelled nationwide, with Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, and New York JFK among the hardest hit airports. Deicing operations at Buffalo and Akron-Canton are adding to delays. Southwest Airlines alone has reported 270 delays, while American Airlines follows with 180.
The brief government shutdown further complicated matters. While air traffic controllers continued working without pay as essential personnel, over 10,000 FAA employees were furloughed. The shutdown marked the second funding lapse for the agency this fiscal year, following a 43-day closure in fall 2025 that caused flight reductions at 40 major airports. Aviation unions warned that even brief interruptions place added strain on an already fragile system dealing with chronic staffing shortages.
For travelers caught in the storm, airlines have offered fee waivers for rebooking, but they are not required to provide meals, hotel rooms, or cash compensation when weather causes disruptions. This is where travel insurance becomes essential. Comprehensive policies purchased before a storm is forecast can reimburse nonrefundable expenses like flights, hotels, and prepaid tours when weather forces cancellation.
Travel insurance providers emphasize timing matters enormously. Once a storm is named or forecast, it becomes a foreseeable event, and new policies typically will not cover related losses. Cancel-for-any-reason add-ons remain an option for late purchasers, though they reimburse only 75 to 80 percent of trip costs. Trip delay coverage can help cover meals, transportation, and lodging expenses when flights are delayed by 5 hours or more.
Winter Storm Gianna follows last weekend’s Winter Storm Fern, which killed more than 60 people and left hundreds of thousands without power across the Southeast. According to FlightAware, Fern caused over 4,000 cancellations and nearly 10,000 delays. Travel insurance comparison site Squaremouth reported that Fern marked the worst weekend for air travel since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The back-to-back storms underscore how unpredictable winter travel has become. Airlines for America noted the previous FAA shutdown negatively impacted more than 6 million passengers with an economic toll of $7 billion. Combined with severe weather, travelers face a one-two punch that can derail even the most carefully planned trip.
InsureMyTrip CEO Suzane Morrow put it plainly in a statement this week: weather delays highlight a significant gap in air travel because airlines manage schedules, not traveler expenses. Travel insurance covers what airlines do not, which becomes especially important during widespread winter storms when expenses pile up quickly.
With more winter weather likely in the weeks ahead, travelers should purchase coverage as soon as they book, rather than waiting until departure. Comparing the best travel insurance options now ensures protection is in place before the next storm is named. For anyone flying through major hubs this month, the peace of mind is well worth the premium.
