Delta Air Lines canceled about 375 flights Saturday in the wake of the snowstorm that hit Atlanta Friday, causing more disruptions for travelers at its largest hub.
But by late Saturday afternoon, Delta said its operations in Atlanta had returned to normal.
The Atlanta-based airline said some flights departing Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport early Sunday will need to be de-iced after the planes are parked overnight at gates.
Delta canceled more than 1,000 flights Friday throughout its operation, with most of the cancellations affecting flights departing or arriving in Atlanta. That contributed to the additional cancellations Saturday.
Aircraft end up in the wrong city when flights are canceled, affecting the restart of scheduled flights the next morning. Planes parked overnight at gates Friday had to be deiced. Delta also said in a written statement that "the continued stream of winter precipitation in metro Atlanta throughout the night" affected its startup Saturday morning at Hartsfield-Jackson.
The number of flight cancellations increased throughout the day Friday and into Saturday morning. But the run-up of flight cancellations slowed by late Saturday afternoon.
The airline is also handling the effects of winter storms at its hubs in New York and at airports in the mid-Atlantic region on Saturday. It is restricting unaccompanied minors connecting through Atlanta on Saturday and through New York airports and Boston through Sunday.
Delta has extended its change fee waiver and is now waiving certain change fees for travelers scheduled to fly Friday through Sunday to, from or through Atlanta, when tickets are rebooked by Dec. 13.
Those whose Delta flights are canceled or delayed by 90 minutes or more can get a refund for the unused portion of their tickets.
Delta is the largest carrier at the Atlanta airport, but other airlines have also been affected by the winter storm.
Southwest Airlines, the second-largest carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson, canceled 39 Atlanta flights for Saturday, after dozens of cancellations Friday.
Hartsfield-Jackson officials said the airport is up and running, "but delays and cancellations are expected." The airport advised passengers to check with their airlines on the status of flights.
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