Planning on taking to the skies from Lynchburg Regional Airport? Starting in September, United Airlines is hoping to make it easier to get an early start on your travel plans.

About 300 flights per day must be cut from the schedule at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on the busiest days this summer in an effort to reduce flight delays, The U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration order said Thursday the airlines scheduled more flights than O'Hare could handle, so the government told the airlines to make cuts.

The first major winter storm has hit the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, covering the area with snow and ice.

Black ice, snow showers and fog are pestering post-holiday travelers in the Midwest, while the Northeast is gearing up for its first major snowstorm of the season.

On Friday, city leaders gathered at the Lynchburg Regional Airport to announce travelers in Central Virginia will soon have more options to fly out of the city. United Express is launching non-stop flights to Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Getting from Roanoke to the Windy City just got a whole lot easier.