Feb. 16—Flying out of San Antonio International Airport on Wednesday will be dicey, if not impossible.
As of Tuesday afternoon, airport officials had not said whether any planes would be taking off or landing at the airfield on Wednesday. The airport was shut down Monday and Tuesday, with personnel unable to clear snow from the runways.
Even if if the airport open Wednesday, however, most flights have been canceled for the day.
About 60 percent of the flights — or 32 planes — scheduled to depart on Wednesday had been scrubbed, according to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations.
The shutdown has stranded thousands of travelers in San Antonio, many of whom are staying at area hotels.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, the largest carrier at San Antonio International, said the first seven flights departing Wednesday morning had been canceled, but did not comment on later flights.
An American Airlines spokeswoman said the carrier had canceled all flights in and out of the airport on Wednesday.
The airport could remain closed for most of the week.
"There are more than 300,000 people across the area without power," said Laura Mayes, spokeswoman for the city of San Antonio. "Reopening the airport for travel is not the priority. No decisions have been made about Thursday or Friday."
San Antonio International owns no snow removal equipment, and snow mounds had accumulated on the runways and other parts of the airfield.
"We are asking all travelers to check with their airline to confirm daily flight status," said airport spokeswoman Tonya Hope.
"Our number one priority is safety, and we are reminding travelers of the city and Bexar County's message to stay off the roadways," she said. "It's all about being safe during this weather situation."
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport officials said they wouldn't decide whether to reopen their airport could until Tuesday night.
The Austin airport, like San Antonio's, does not own any snow removal equipment. However, an airport spokesperson said the city of Austin has loaned the airport several pieces of equipment.
___
(c)2021 the San Antonio Express-News
Visit the San Antonio Express-News at www.mysanantonio.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
