Winter Storm Benjamin has pummeled Connecticut and much of the northeastern United States, turning the normally busy Bradley International Airport into a locus of cancellations, delays and frustrated travelers.

With snow totals over a foot in parts of the state, frigid temperatures and lingering operational challenges, flyers using the Hartford-area hub are facing multi-day disruptions that began over the weekend and are expected to ripple into the week.

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Storm Benjamin Slams Connecticut and Paralyzes Air Travel

Winter Storm Benjamin swept into New England on Sunday, January 25, after barreling across the country with a massive shield of snow, sleet and freezing rain. By the time the system reached Connecticut, forecasters were calling it one of the season’s most disruptive winter events, with many communities seeing 12 to 18 inches of snow and periods of whiteout conditions that made both road and air travel treacherous.

At Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, the timing and intensity of the storm forced airlines to preemptively scrub most of Sunday’s schedule. Airport officials reported that roughly 80 percent of arrivals and departures were canceled on January 25, effectively halting normal passenger operations during the height of the storm. The limited number of flights that did operate generally departed early in the day, before conditions deteriorated.

The local disruptions unfolded against the backdrop of a nationwide aviation crunch, as Benjamin’s far-reaching footprint affected airports from Texas to New England. Over the weekend, flight-tracking services logged well over 10,000 cancellations across the United States, marking one of the most significant weather-related air travel disruptions since the early months of the pandemic. For many travelers, especially those attempting to connect through northeastern hubs, Bradley’s troubles were one more piece of a much larger puzzle.

Extent of Cancellations and Delays at Bradley Airport

By Monday morning, January 26, with the storm moving offshore and snow tapering to lighter bands, Bradley International Airport was technically open but still far from normal. According to the Connecticut Airport Authority, about 38 percent of scheduled flights for the day had already been canceled by mid-morning, with the bulk of those scrapped departures and arrivals clustered in the first half of the day.

That figure followed Sunday’s deep cuts and came amid warnings from airport officials that disruption would likely extend into Tuesday, January 27. Even as runways were being cleared and visibility improved, airlines faced the complex task of repositioning aircraft and crews that had been stranded and rerouted throughout the storm’s multi-state path. The cumulative effect has been a rolling wave of cancellations and extended delays rather than a clean return to schedule.

Travelers also encountered residual delays on flights that did operate, reflecting a combination of deicing requirements, air traffic control flow programs, and intermittent ground stoppages at other major hubs. With winter weather advisories still in place across parts of New England, airline operations teams have been proceeding cautiously, prioritizing safety over speed as they work through a backlog of passengers and aircraft.

On-the-Ground Experience for Passengers

For passengers inside Bradley’s terminals, Winter Storm Benjamin translated into long lines at airline counters, crowded gate areas whenever a flight looked likely to depart, and a surge in rebooking requests as travelers tried to salvage their plans. Many flyers arriving at the airport on Sunday learned only at check-in that their flights had been proactively canceled hours earlier, emphasizing the importance of monitoring airline apps and alerts closely during winter weather events.

Those who were able to depart from or arrive at Bradley often did so after enduring multiple schedule changes. Some passengers whose original Sunday flights were canceled were rebooked onto Monday and Tuesday departures, only to see those new flights delayed or canceled as well. With hotel rooms in the Hartford area filling quickly, especially near the airport, late-arriving travelers sometimes had limited options for overnight accommodations.

Inside the terminals, staff and volunteers worked to direct passengers, field questions and provide updates using overhead announcements and display boards. While airlines offered meal vouchers or hotel assistance in certain circumstances, policies varied by carrier and by the cause of the disruption, leaving some travelers paying out of pocket for food and lodging as they waited for the weather and operations to stabilize.

How Airlines Are Rebooking and Waiving Fees

In anticipation of Winter Storm Benjamin’s arrival, many airlines serving Bradley International Airport issued flexible travel waivers for customers whose flights fell within the storm’s window, generally spanning from Friday, January 23, through Monday, January 26. These waivers typically allowed travelers to change their flights within a set period without incurring standard change fees, and in some cases without paying any difference in fare if rebooked within a short timeframe.

Major carriers such as Delta, United, JetBlue, Southwest and Frontier extended change-fee waivers tied specifically to Bradley and other affected northeastern airports. In many instances, passengers could move their travel to later in the week or, for weekend flyers, up to early next week, as long as the origin and destination cities remained the same and the new travel date fell before a published deadline. For travelers opting not to fly at all, some airlines offered the option of travel credits, while those whose flights were formally canceled were sometimes eligible for full refunds.

Airlines have strongly encouraged customers to make changes digitally using their websites or mobile apps instead of standing in airport queues, where agents are handling a mix of same-day and long-range rebookings. Digital rebooking can provide a faster path to securing limited seats on later flights, particularly when entire planeloads of passengers from multiple canceled flights are all vying for the same pool of available seats in the days after a major storm.

Baggage, Ground Operations and the Impact of Extreme Cold

Storm Benjamin’s challenges at Bradley were not confined to runways and departure boards. The bitter cold that accompanied heavy snow also affected baggage handling and ground operations, adding another layer of complexity for both airport staff and airlines. A spokesperson for the Connecticut Airport Authority said that extreme low temperatures over the weekend interfered with the airport’s baggage-handling system, disrupting the usual flow of checked luggage from aircraft to carousels and connecting flights.

To compensate, airport teams and airline ground handlers turned to alternative methods for moving bags, including more manual transport and targeted interventions to clear bottlenecks in the system. Even so, some checked luggage did not reach its intended destination on time, and passengers reported waiting through extended delays at carousels or arriving at their final airport without their bags.

Ground crews operating on the tarmac faced brutal wind chills as they worked through the storm, performing essential tasks such as aircraft deicing, snow removal around gates and loading operations. While the airport emphasized that all available resources were deployed to minimize disruption, officials acknowledged that the combination of heavy snow, powerful winds and deep cold created “unprecedented” conditions that could not be fully mitigated in real time.

Statewide Travel Restrictions and Road Conditions Around the Airport

Air travelers’ difficulties coincided with tough conditions on Connecticut’s highways. On Sunday, as Benjamin intensified, Governor Ned Lamont issued an emergency order restricting commercial vehicle travel on all limited access highways in the state. That move, intended to reduce the risk of jackknifed tractor-trailers and multi-vehicle pileups, also affected cargo operations and some airport-related trucking traffic.

The order was lifted at 6:30 a.m. Monday, January 26, but state officials continued to urge residents to stay off the roads where possible, warning that cleanup from deep snow and lingering ice would take much of the day. Motorists heading to and from Bradley on Monday morning encountered partially cleared roads, snowbanks narrowing lanes, and intermittent slowdowns as plows continued to work the major arteries feeding the airport.

For travelers deciding whether to head to the airport, those road conditions added another variable to already uncertain air schedules. Many opted to verify their flight status multiple times before departure and to build in extra time for the drive, anticipating slower traffic and the possibility of last-minute gate or departure-time changes once at the terminal.

What Travelers Need to Do Right Now

For passengers with flights scheduled through Bradley over the next 24 to 48 hours, the key guidance from airport and airline officials is to closely monitor flight status and not assume that a previously confirmed itinerary remains unchanged. Even as the weather improves, the cumulative impact of crew displacement, aircraft repositioning, and overnight airport closures at other hubs means that adjustments can continue well after the last snowflake falls.

Travelers are urged to check their airline’s app or website before leaving home, sign up for text or email alerts, and consider using airline chat functions or call centers if a flight appears at risk. If a cancellation does occur, acting quickly to secure an alternate itinerary can make the difference between getting out the next day and waiting several days for available seats.

Passengers whose travel is flexible may find it easier to move their plans beyond the most heavily affected days, particularly if airlines extend or expand their weather waivers. Those with nonessential trips might benefit from delaying travel until midweek, when operations are more likely to have normalized and seat availability could improve. For those who must travel sooner, being prepared for extended time in the terminal, traveling with essential medications and chargers in carry-on bags, and having a backup plan for lodging can help reduce stress.

Wider Ripple Effects Across the Northeast and What Comes Next

Bradley International Airport’s turmoil is part of a broader regional story, as Winter Storm Benjamin has battered airports across the Northeast, including major hubs in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. With thousands of flights canceled on Sunday and significant additional cancellations on Monday, airlines are working through a complex restart process that affects planes, pilots and passengers in multiple time zones.

Meteorologists say Benjamin is now exiting into the Atlantic, leaving behind a regime of cold air and, in some places, lingering light snow. That shift should allow airport operations across New England to gradually recover, barring any new weather systems moving in later in the week. However, the scale of the disruption means that some travelers may still be waiting for rebooked flights and delayed baggage well after runways and roads are clear.

For now, Bradley International remains operational but constrained, a reminder that even a well-prepared airport can struggle under the combined weight of a major winter storm and extreme cold. For travelers, the experience of Winter Storm Benjamin underlines the importance of flexibility, preparation and constant communication with airlines when winter weather threatens the northeastern corridor.