Airlines, Airports Dig out from Jonas

Airlines began the process of putting planes back into position in the Northeast following Winter Storm Jonas, but more than 500 flights have been canceled for today. Last night, a combination of returning passengers and delayed fuel trucks led to a massive traffic jam that had some would-be travelers getting out of their cars on the highway and walking.

The historic storm, which dumped more than two feet of snow on many airports in the region, is requiring an equally epic cleanup. Airlines report that some passengers wrongly assumed that Monday morning would be normal, since the storm had passed and the cleanup had begun.

But some carriers, including American Airlines, had removed their aircraft from the airports prior to the storm, and spent Monday morning bringing them back.

American canceled 2,100 flights on Friday, 2,100 flights on Saturday, 1,600 flights on Sunday, and 500 flights on Monday.

Delta said the cleanup had gone smoothly at Kennedy Airport, but snow removal efforts hampered airline operations at LaGuardia and Newark.

A passenger departing Baltimore-Washington on Monday said the airport was “impressively clean.”

Including connecting airports, three dozen airports served by Delta were affected by the storm, from Boston to Jackson, MS, and as far west as Memphis, TN.

United said it was operating very limited service at Newark and Washington Dulles on Monday and Tuesday and expected to gradually increase service Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday.

It urged customers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.