More than 8000 flights are estimated to have been canceled as the polar vortex blanketed many US states with arctic cold.
The New York Times reported at least 21 people have died in record low temperatures and bone-chilling winds that have caused havoc for airlines.
The problem was not with the planes, which are designed to fly in sub-zero temperatures, but with the impact of the weather on ground handling.
The system slowed as aircraft needed to be de-iced and the cold got to the point where it was dangerous for workers to stay outside for extended periods.
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Most airlines issued travel waivers of some description over the big freeze and Chicago particularly hard hit as temperatures at the airport dropped to -17F (-27C).
Nor was it just US residents affected by the cold.
The Australian newspaper reported that one Brisbane resident trying to get back to Australia from Minneapolis took 70 hours to get home because of delays and cancellations.
The cold snap comes as travelers had previously been grappling with US government shutdown.
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The polar vortex is a low-pressure system with a counterclockwise circulation of frigid, high altitude winds that can move south in certain conditions.
It produces low temperatures and wind-chill factors that can see frostbite set in in a matter of minutes.
The brutal weather forced the closure of schools, government offices and businesses as prompted emergencies to be declared in a number of states.
Even the mail did not get through, with the US Postal Service at one stage canceling deliveries in six states.
The vortex has always been there and was responsible for a cold-snap in 2014 as well as similar events in previous years.
However, the cold this year has sunk to new lows.
Accuweather reported the lowest actual temperature was recorded in Cotton, Minnesota, on Thursday morning. It was -56F (-49C).
Other record low temperatures include -33F in Moline, Illinois and -30F in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The weather website was predicting a surge of milder air this weekend
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