Airlines cancel 5,700 US flights amid fierce winter storms

A pair of travelers sleep while fellow travelers queue up below to pass through the south security checkpoint in Denver International Airport Dec. 23, 2022, as a winter storm swept over the country. [Courtesy of AP]

Airline cancellations topped 5,700 U.S. flights Friday as massive winter storms snarled airport operations around the United States and frustrated tens of thousands of holiday travelers.

That followed nearly 2,700 canceled flights Thursday, while just over 1,000 flights have already been canceled for Saturday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.