Air India cancels New York, Newark flights due to blizzard

Washington: Air India on Sunday cancelled all flights to and from New York and Newark scheduled for February 23 amid a severe winter storm warning, leaving passengers stuck in Delhi

A fast-developing storm has hit the US East Coast with over a foot of snow, affecting a region that has only recently recovered from an earlier winter storm.

The airline said heavy snowfall across New York, New Jersey and adjoining regions on February 23 is likely to significantly disrupt flight operations, prompting precautionary cancellations.

In an advisory, Air India said that the flights were cancelled keeping passenger and crew safety in mind: “In view of the safety, well-being and convenience of our passengers and crew, all Air India flights to and from New York and Newark have been cancelled on 23 February.”

Also more than 1,500 flights across the United States had been cancelled for Sunday as of Saturday night, with hundreds called off at LaGuardia, Kennedy, and Newark airports, the newspaper reported.

The Wall Street Journal said the major winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow and strong winds across the Northeast, causing forecasters to issue the first blizzard warning in New York City in nearly a decade. Wind gusts of as much as 70 miles an hour are expected, with the potential to cause flight cancellations, downed trees, and power outages.

In the Washington, DC, region, The Washington Post reported that a powerful coastal storm is poised to bring rain, snow, and wind to the area Sunday into Monday, with a winter weather advisory issued for the Beltway area late Sunday afternoon into Monday morning. Accumulation potential ranges from just an inch or two in the far southern suburbs and around the city to up to a half foot or so north and north-east of the Beltway.

The United States regularly experiences powerful winter storms along the Atlantic seaboard during February, when cold continental air masses interact with relatively warmer Atlantic waters.

Two major airlines in the UAE cancelled multiple flights and rescheduled others.

Dubai-based airline Emirates urged customers impacted by the cancellations to contact their travel agency for rebooking. Meanwhile, those who booked directly with Emirates have been urged to reach out to the airline.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad also cancelled four flights and rescheduled some flights on February 23. The airline added the changes will adapt to evolving weather conditions and further delays or cancellations may occur if required.

Meteorologists issued blizzard warnings for New York and parts of at least six states, warning Saturday that heavy snow and gale-force winds are forecast to slam all major cities along the densely populated Interstate 95 northeast corridor, including Philadelphia, Boston and even Washington further south.

“Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 1 and 2 feet (30-60 centimeters)” in Boston and eastern Massachusetts, with winds gusting to 60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour, the National Weather Service said Saturday in a report from its Boston office.

The NWS headquarters said snowfall rates of more than one inch (2.5 centimeters) an hour will occur at times along parts of the East Coast, with huge snow totals “resulting in near-impossible travel conditions.” The heavy, wet snow may result in numerous power outages, it warned.