ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Travelers at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport experienced relatively smooth operations Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, despite concerns about a looming winter storm that could impact return flights over the weekend.
Watch Peter Maxwell's video report below:
I spent the day at Detroit Metro speaking with passengers flying out and arriving for the holiday. While delays have been minimal so far, the approaching winter weather system has many keeping a close watch on their return travel plans.
"We're willing to accept any weather issues that occur," said Raed Albuliwi, who was traveling to New York City.
Jason Moran, another traveler, described his experience as manageable despite some turbulence.
"A little bumpy, but it was pretty simple," Moran said.
Some passengers arriving in Detroit had already encountered delays due to weather and air traffic control staffing issues in other parts of the country. Andrew Calhoun, traveling from Milwaukee, experienced a delay when his plane needed deicing.
"Had to deice the plane, so it ran a little late," Calhoun said.
Robert Tomsyck faced a different issue with his flight.
"Got delayed because they were saying because of the controllers. There wasn't as many or something," Tomsyck said.
Departing passengers also faced some challenges. Heidi Guyer and her sons had their original flight to South Carolina canceled, forcing them to rebook on a later departure.
"This morning, woke up to an alert that the flight was canceled and we would go out on the 4:23 flight this afternoon," Guyer said.
However, it's not Wednesday's departures from Detroit that have travelers most concerned. Many are worried about the potential winter weather later this weekend that could impact their return home.
Albuliwi said he has a backup plan if weather disrupts his return flight.
"You know, worst case, it's New York City. We could always grab a rental and drive home," Albuliwi said.
Dr. Monisola Olatunde, traveling to Washington, expressed cautious optimism about her return journey.
"We are a little bit worried, just a little bit. But we are hoping that the weather will change because we can't really say. So yeah, just a little bit worried," Olatunde said.
John Olatunde, also heading to Washington, emphasized the need for flexibility.
"We just have to play it by ear. Go ahead have a great holiday with the family and come home and pray that everything is good," Olatunde said.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
