US: De-icing delays blamed for cancellation of nearly 90 flights at Midway

Nearly 90 Southwest flights were cancelled at Midway Airport Thursday because of delays caused by the de-icing of planes. Midway was experiencing the highest number of flight cancellations in the country early Thursday, according to FlightStats, a website that draws information from airports and the Federal Aviation Administration. There were two flight cancellations early Thursday at O’Hare International Airport, according to the city’s Department of Aviation website. Southwest blamed freezing conditions at the airport for slowing down crews in charge of de-icing planes. “In order to minimize the impact to the rest of our system, our operational planners make the tough decision to reduce the schedule to one that’s workable with our crews on the ground and ensures we have minimal impact to the rest of our network,” said a spokesman said. Little relief from the cold is expected in the next few days. <br/>