Delays, cancellations frustrate many at Albuquerque Sunport
Delays, cancellations frustrate many at Albuquerque Sunport
Weather across the U.S. upends Christmas plans for hundreds of travelers
Updated: 7:32 PM MST Dec 25, 2022
The huge polar vortex that brought severe cold and snow to much of the country this weekend may have largely spared most of New Mexico, but many of those with air travel plans on Christmas were not so lucky.As often happens when troublesome weather affects multiple airport hubs nationwide, cancellations, delayed takeoffs and late arrivals have a domino effect. And that left hundreds of travelers at the Albuquerque Sunport waiting for hours, missing connections, or scratching their travel plans altogether. Some with reservations to fly here also had to wait for delayed planes or crews to be available, or learned they were not available at all.Even after the sun went down on Christmas Day, cancellations and delays were still being announced at the Sunport. Passengers arriving long after their scheduled time checked the departure board to see when their connecting flights might (or might not) be leaving or crowded around carousels to claim their luggage at last.As of 7 p.m., the tally for the day at the Sunport was 45 delayed flights to or from Albuquerque and 21 cancellations.For Harriet Harvey-Horn, whose flight home with her husband to San Jose, California, was canceled, things could have been worse. Their son and his girlfriend were able to fly from Albuquerque to Houston, where they found out their connecting flight to Miami was very much delayed.”It’s Christmas, and even though this is really inconvenient, there are smiling faces all over this airport,” she said. “So I would say it’s not so bad because this is the end of our Christmas vacation. We’re headed back home now, but for the people with kids and all their gifts, I feel really bad for them.”But like I said, I think the spirit of the season is with the people, and it hasn’t been too bad today,” she said.
The huge polar vortex that brought severe cold and snow to much of the country this weekend may have largely spared most of New Mexico, but many of those with air travel plans on Christmas were not so lucky.
As often happens when troublesome weather affects multiple airport hubs nationwide, cancellations, delayed takeoffs and late arrivals have a domino effect. And that left hundreds of travelers at the Albuquerque Sunport waiting for hours, missing connections, or scratching their travel plans altogether. Some with reservations to fly here also had to wait for delayed planes or crews to be available, or learned they were not available at all.
Even after the sun went down on Christmas Day, cancellations and delays were still being announced at the Sunport. Passengers arriving long after their scheduled time checked the departure board to see when their connecting flights might (or might not) be leaving or crowded around carousels to claim their luggage at last.
As of 7 p.m., the tally for the day at the Sunport was 45 delayed flights to or from Albuquerque and 21 cancellations.
For Harriet Harvey-Horn, whose flight home with her husband to San Jose, California, was canceled, things could have been worse. Their son and his girlfriend were able to fly from Albuquerque to Houston, where they found out their connecting flight to Miami was very much delayed.
“It’s Christmas, and even though this is really inconvenient, there are smiling faces all over this airport,” she said. “So I would say it’s not so bad because this is the end of our Christmas vacation. We’re headed back home now, but for the people with kids and all their gifts, I feel really bad for them.
“But like I said, I think the spirit of the season is with the people, and it hasn’t been too bad today,” she said.
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