Flights resume at RDU, but many still canceled after weekend winter storm
Dozens of flights in and out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport have been canceled Monday, as airlines struggle to recover from the massive storm that brought wintry weather to half the country.
RDU is open, but as of 3:30 p.m., nearly 120 flights had been scrubbed, according to FlightAware, a number that has risen as the day goes on. Nationwide, more than 5,000 flights had been canceled.
A Delta Air Lines flight to Atlanta that took off about 6:30 a.m. was the first to leave RDU. An hour later, a Breeze Airways flight from Akron was the first to land.
Hundreds of flights are still scheduled, in contrast to Sunday when airlines canceled nearly every one from RDU. But with airports clearing ice and snow from Texas to New England, travelers are advised to check with their carrier before leaving for the airport to catch a flight or meet an arriving passenger.
RDU never closed on Sunday, even though airlines made little use of its runways. RDU crews kept at least one of the two commercial runways open at all times throughout the storm, except for a brief time overnight Sunday into Monday, when both were closed so crews could treat the pavement with deicing chemicals.
Snow and ice have not forced RDU to shut down for any length of time since the historic snow storm of 2000, when more 20 inches of snow and lingering cold closed the airport for two days.
This story was originally published January 26, 2026 at 8:14 AM.
