At Charlotte Douglas International Airport, work crews remove accumulation from Winter Storm Fern. American Airlines, the largest provider of flights, is preparing for another weekend storm for the end of January and the start of February.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Flight cancellations are starting to mount at Charlotte’s airport as Winter Storm Gianna draws closer to the region.
Around 3 p.m. Friday, Charlotte Douglas International Airport had 151 delays and 16 cancellations, according to the tracking site FlightAware. However, that total is expected to go up on Saturday, with 156 flights already canceled for that day.
Less than a week ago, Winter Storm Fern canceled thousands of flights at CLT during and after a mix of snow, sleet, ice and freezing rain affected the region.
Now, Winter Storm Gianna is expected to bring 4 to 7 inches of snow — or more — to the Charlotte area, starting late Friday and continuing through Saturday, with temperatures in the 20s, according to forecasts.
The airport is monitoring the forecast and taking steps to minimize disruptions, CLT reported. Unlike last weekend’s ice storm, responding to snow requires swift repeated plowing, clearing runways, taxiways, and walkways multiple times, and applying treatments to keep surfaces safe for travelers.
The airport remains open, even as winter weather continues in the area, CLT said.
Travelers should remember that it’s the airlines — not the airport itself —that decide if a flight gets delayed or canceled, according to Charlotte Douglas. These decisions can also depend on weather in other destinations or if flight crews are available.
Airport officials urge all passengers to confirm their flight status directly with their airline before going to the airport.
Charlotte Douglas is the sixth-busiest airport in the world for takeoffs and landings, according to preliminary rankings released in April by Airports Council International. American Airlines is the dominant airline at CLT, accounting for about 90% of all flights there.
American Airlines waives CLT change fees
Ahead of another big weekend winter storm headed for the Charlotte region, American Airlines is allowing customers traveling to, through, or from the Charlotte airport to change their flight plans with no fee before snow hits the area and elsewhere.
Charlotte Douglas is among nearly 30 airports in the Southeast listed in the travel alert.
For this reason, more than half of the airports under American’s travel advisory and change fee waivers are in the Carolinas. Along with Charlotte, other affected airports include Asheville, Charleston, Columbia, Fayetteville, Florence, Greensboro-High Point, Greenville (NC), Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., Hilton Head, S.C., Myrtle Beach, New Bern, Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington.
American Airlines is waiving change fees for certain flights. Passengers qualify if their original trip is scheduled between Friday, Jan. 30, and Monday, Feb. 2, and if they purchased their tickets on or before Jan. 28.
All ticket types, including basic economy, are covered under this policy.
How to change flights on American without fees
To take advantage of the waiver, travelers must rebook their flights by Monday, Feb. 2. The new trip must take place between Thursday, Jan. 29, and Friday, Feb. 6, and must remain between the same origin and destination cities.
While the usual change fee will be waived, travelers will still be responsible for any difference in airfare if the new ticket is more expensive.
Travelers wishing to change their trip can log onto the American Airlines website at aa.com. Eligible reservations will display a “Change Trip” option, allowing passengers to select new flight dates online.
If travelers cannot reschedule within the specified time frame, they can retain the ticket value for up to one year from the original purchase date. Standard fare differences will apply when booking future travel.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 11:14 AM.
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Chase Jordan
The Charlotte Observer
Chase Jordan is a business reporter for The Charlotte Observer, and has nearly a decade of experience covering news in North Carolina. Prior to joining the Observer, he was a growth and development reporter for the Wilmington StarNews. The Kansas City native is a graduate of Bethune-Cookman University.
