US airlines said they plan to ramp up operations after a powerful Nor’easter crippled travel across the Northeast, forcing thousands of cancellations and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
The disruption has rippled across the Atlantic. Nine flights to or from Dublin Airport and one to or from Shannon were canceled today on New York, Boston and New Jersey routes. Passengers are advised to check with their airlines before traveling.
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The storm hammered major corridors overnight with heavy snow and high winds. Rhode Island TF Green International Airport recorded nearly 83 centimeters of snow by yesterday afternoon, a record for the state. In New York City, some 50 centimeters fell in Central Park — the most from a single storm at the city’s official reporting station in more than a decade — while totals topped 76.2 centimeters across parts of the broader Northeast.
United Airlines said it had early plans to increase flying as conditions improve but cautioned that weather and operational challenges persist. Southwest Airlines said its plan “is on track to start ramping up operations … if conditions permit us to safely do so.” The Dallas-based carrier canceled about 7% of flights yesterday, less than its rivals due to limited exposure in the Northeast.
American Airlines said it had resumed operations at Washington Reagan National and Philadelphia. Delta Air Lines and American both said they expect to restart service at New York’s LaGuardia and JFK airports and in Boston later this morning. Delta also expects to resume flights at Newark. JetBlue was especially hard hit, canceling about 80% of its schedule yesterday, according to FlightAware data; the carrier said it has canceled a total of 1,600 flights through tomorrow.
Across the industry, American, Delta and United each canceled about 20% of flights yesterday as the blizzard intensified. US passenger railroad Amtrak canceled dozens of trains between New York and Boston and on other routes in the Northeast, compounding the region’s travel woes.
Road travel remained hazardous or restricted in several states. Rhode Island extended its travel ban into today, and Massachusetts imposed new limits on nonessential driving in parts of the state. Boston public schools will stay closed today because of the heavy snowfall.
The storm arrives just weeks after another punishing winter system in the region that was linked to more than 100 deaths. Officials issued forceful warnings ahead of the latest blast, urging residents to stay home and keep roads clear for emergency and utility crews. “I know that this is a city full of people who do not like to sit still,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said at a briefing, warning New Yorkers of continuing danger from the storm.
With cleanup underway and crews working to restore power, carriers said they would continue monitoring conditions and adjust schedules as needed. Travelers on both sides of the Atlantic should expect lingering delays and cancellations and are urged to confirm flight status with their airlines before heading to the airport.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
