A powerful winter storm sweeping across the US Northeast has thrown air travel into disarray during one of the busiest holiday periods of the year, with thousands of flights cancelled or delayed and knock-on disruption now spilling into today’s tightly timed transatlantic “bank” departures and arrivals through New York–area hubs.

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Storm slams Northeast hubs and ripples across global networks

Heavy snow, sleet and high winds associated with a strong winter system have pounded the corridor from the Great Lakes through the Mid-Atlantic and into New England since Friday, prompting winter weather warnings across multiple states and placing extraordinary pressure on aviation operations.

New York City’s three main airports, John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty, have been at the epicentre of the disruption, alongside key hubs in Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit.

Across Friday and Saturday, flight-tracking data showed well over a thousand cancellations and many thousands of delays nationwide, with the majority concentrated in the Northeast and at New York–area airports.

On Saturday alone, more than 14,000 domestic flights were cancelled or delayed by mid-morning, along with more than 2,000 international services to or from the United States, a large share of them touching the New York region.

Carriers warned that although the heaviest snow has tapered off, the operational fallout would continue into Sunday and beyond as they reposition aircraft and crew.

By late Saturday and into Sunday morning, airlines were still dealing with the backlog created when the storm’s fiercest phase forced them to suspend operations, reduce schedules and divert or cancel flights for safety reasons. Ramp closures, deicing queues, reduced runway capacity and ongoing low visibility at times all contributed to a slower-than-normal recovery.

Even as skies cleared over parts of the Northeast, displaced aircraft and crews, along with congested airspace, ensured the disruption was far from over.

Cancellations and delays climb into the tens of thousands

Data compiled over the weekend indicated that the storm’s aviation impact was comparable to some of the worst single weather events in recent years.

On Friday, more than 1,700 US flights were cancelled and about 9,000 delayed, followed on Saturday by nearly 800 cancellations and around 4,000 delays as the system pushed through the Northeast.

Separate tallies on Saturday morning showed more than 14,400 domestic services cancelled or delayed, illustrating how quickly conditions deteriorated at major hubs.

New York’s airports consistently ranked among the hardest hit, at times recording triple-digit cancellations and delays in a single day.

At various points during the storm, more than 1,800 flights across the United States had been cancelled and over 22,000 delayed, with JetBlue, Delta, Republic Airways, American and United among the most heavily affected carriers.

Regional affiliates feeding the major networks also suffered substantial disruption, compounding the difficulty of restoring normal schedules.

The sheer scale of the disruption reflects how tightly wound airline operations have become during peak holiday periods. With aircraft flying near-full schedules and load factors running high, there is little slack in the system to absorb sudden weather shocks.

Once a critical mass of flights is cancelled at one or more hubs, the resulting knock-on effects cascade across the network, stranding aircraft and crews in the wrong locations and forcing airlines to make difficult decisions about which routes to prioritise in the recovery phase.

New York connections snarl transatlantic travel

The storm’s timing and geography have delivered a particular blow to transatlantic passengers, many of whom rely on New York as a key connecting point between North America and Europe.

John F. Kennedy International in particular functions as a major gateway for flights to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin, Rome and other European cities, while Newark Liberty is a crucial hub for connections operated by United Airlines and its partners.

As cancellations in New York mounted on Friday and Saturday, ripple effects quickly spread to overseas airports.

Reports highlighted disruption at major European hubs including London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle as aircraft scheduled to operate overnight transatlantic rotations failed to arrive, forcing airlines to cancel or retime westbound services.

Some carriers were unable to position aircraft back to New York in time for the morning “bank” of Europe-bound departures, leaving passengers in both directions scrambling for alternatives.

Airlines serving key transatlantic routes out of New York, including US majors as well as foreign carriers such as Air France, Lufthansa, Swiss and others, all reported an elevated number of cancellations or truncated schedules.

With many long-haul flights operating only once daily on specific city pairs, the loss of even a single rotation can strand passengers for 24 hours or more.

As a result, travellers connecting through New York found themselves facing forced overnight stays, re-routing through secondary hubs, or long waits in customer service lines and digital queues as they sought new itineraries.

Today’s “bank” flights feel the lingering impact

Even as conditions improved on the ground in the New York area on Sunday, the tightly choreographed waves of morning and evening “bank” flights remained under strain.

These banks, in which multiple departures and arrivals are clustered to maximise connection opportunities, are particularly common on transatlantic routes linking New York with major European capitals and beyond.

Airlines entered Sunday with aircraft and crew still out of position after two days of sharply disrupted operations.

This meant some of the early morning departures to Europe, which are often used to re-accommodate passengers from earlier cancellations, were themselves operating with limited spare capacity or remained subject to rolling delays.

For passengers booked on multi-leg journeys via New York, minor schedule changes on the first leg risked causing missed onward connections if minimum connection times could not be maintained.

Industry analysts note that recovering from a systemwide weather event can take several days, even after the last snowflake falls. Carriers must balance the need to clear backlogs with the constraints of crew duty time limits, aircraft maintenance windows and gate availability.

In practice, this means some banks operate below full capacity for several cycles. For transatlantic travellers, that translates into reduced options and a higher likelihood of being re-routed via alternative hubs such as Boston, Washington, Atlanta or Chicago instead of New York.

How airlines are managing waivers and rebooking

In response to the storm, many major airlines introduced flexible travel policies for affected passengers. United Airlines and Southwest were among the first to extend weather waivers across multiple Northeast and Mid-Atlantic airports, allowing travellers scheduled to fly during the worst of the storm to rebook without change fees for new travel dates.

JetBlue, which has a substantial presence at both JFK and Boston Logan, also offered customers the ability to move their trips within a defined time window without incurring penalties.

American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and several regional partners likewise advised passengers to check their flight status frequently and offered various forms of flexibility, though the details varied from carrier to carrier.

In many cases, fare differences were waived for rebookings within the same cabin and routing, as long as new travel took place within a limited number of days.

Airlines stressed, however, that hotel and meal costs resulting from weather-related interruptions would generally not be covered, since the storm is considered outside their control.

At New York–area airports, airline staff and ground handlers faced long queues at service desks as travellers sought assistance.

Many carriers encouraged passengers to use mobile apps and websites to rebook whenever possible, which allowed some customers to secure scarce seats before they were snapped up.

Nonetheless, with flights throughout the holiday period already operating close to capacity, re-accommodation options were limited, particularly for families and groups seeking to travel together.

Conditions on the ground: airports, deicing and safety priorities

Behind the scenes, airport authorities and ground crews have been working around the clock to keep runways, taxiways and ramp areas safe and operational.

In New York, snowplows and deicing teams were deployed continuously as the storm passed through, with operations structured to prioritise main runways and critical taxi routes.

The National Weather Service reported several inches of snow in and around the city, with some locations seeing the heaviest accumulation in several years, along with gusty winds that created drifting and pockets of reduced visibility.

Deicing has been a particular choke point during the storm and its aftermath.

When temperatures hover around freezing and precipitation is ongoing, every departing aircraft must undergo deicing procedures before takeoff, which significantly extends turnaround times and limits the number of flights that can depart each hour.

At times, New York airports and others across the Northeast were forced to implement ground delay programs and flow restrictions, in which air traffic controllers meter departures to ensure the system is not overwhelmed.

Airport operators stressed that safety remained the overriding concern throughout the event. While passengers expressed understandable frustration at extended delays and missed connections, both airlines and regulators reiterated that takeoff and landing decisions are governed by strict visibility, braking action and crosswind limits.

As a result, even when skies appear to be clearing, runway conditions and wind patterns can still necessitate conservative operating thresholds that reduce the effective capacity of an airport for several hours.

What transatlantic passengers connecting via New York should expect

For travellers heading between Europe and North America over the next 24 to 72 hours, the lingering effects of the storm are likely to remain noticeable, especially for those connecting through New York.

Schedules may still be subject to last-minute changes as airlines work through backlogs and reposition aircraft. Some transatlantic flights may depart with swapped aircraft types or altered seating configurations, potentially affecting pre-assigned seats and upgrade requests.

Passengers booked on tight connections through JFK, LaGuardia or Newark should be prepared for extended transit times within the airport and allow extra margin where possible.

Airline apps and airport displays may not always update in real time during high-stress periods, so travellers are being advised to refresh status information frequently and monitor gate changes closely.

For those with flexible travel plans, voluntarily rebooking via alternative hubs or on later dates may still offer a smoother experience.

Travel industry commentators also note that this storm highlights the growing vulnerability of transatlantic itineraries that depend heavily on a single connection point, particularly during winter.

While New York offers unmatched flight frequency, the concentration of traffic makes it susceptible to major network shocks when severe weather hits.

Some tour operators and corporate travel managers are already encouraging clients to consider backup routings via more southerly or inland hubs during peak storm season, even if that means slightly longer journey times.

FAQ

Q1. How severe has the flight disruption been from this winter storm?
The disruption has been extensive, with well over a thousand flights cancelled and many thousands more delayed across the United States over several days. New York–area airports have recorded some of the highest numbers of affected flights, and the impact has spread across domestic and international networks.

Q2. Are New York airports operating normally again now?
All three major New York airports are open, but operations remain constrained as airlines clear backlogs and deal with aircraft and crew out of position. Schedules today are more stable than during the storm’s peak, yet delays and occasional cancellations are still occurring, especially during busy connection banks.

Q3. I am connecting through JFK or Newark on a transatlantic itinerary. Should I expect delays?
There is a heightened risk of delays and missed connections for passengers transiting New York over the next couple of days. Even if your long-haul flight operates on time, an earlier or later domestic sector in your itinerary may be disrupted, so it is wise to allow extra time and monitor your journey closely.

Q4. What are airlines offering affected passengers?
Most major airlines have issued weather waivers that allow affected customers to change travel dates without standard change fees, provided they travel within a specified window and in the same cabin. Some carriers are also waiving fare differences for limited periods. However, compensation for hotels and meals is generally not provided for weather-related events.

Q5. Can I get a refund if my flight was cancelled because of the storm?
Yes. If your flight is cancelled and you choose not to travel, you are entitled to a full refund of the unused portion of your ticket, including certain ancillary fees such as seat assignments and checked bags. This applies even when the cause is severe weather rather than an airline-controlled issue.

Q6. Are European airports also feeling the effects of this storm?
Yes. Major European hubs that handle significant transatlantic traffic, such as London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, have experienced cancellations and delays when New York–bound or US-origin aircraft could not operate as planned. This has led to disrupted rotations and reduced capacity on some Europe–US routes.

Q7. How long will it take for airline operations to fully recover?
Industry expectations are that it may take several days for flight networks to stabilise completely. Even after weather conditions improve, airlines must realign aircraft and crews, clear passenger backlogs and restore normal connection patterns, particularly at complex hubs like New York.

Q8. What should I do if I am stuck overnight due to a missed connection?
If a missed connection is caused by the storm, airlines are unlikely to be required to provide hotel accommodation, though some may offer vouchers on a discretionary basis. It is advisable to speak to airline staff at the airport or use the carrier’s app to secure the next available seat and then explore local lodging options as early as possible.

Q9. Is it safer to rebook through another US hub instead of New York right now?
Rebooking through an alternative hub such as Boston, Washington, Atlanta or Chicago can sometimes reduce the risk of additional disruption, depending on current conditions and seat availability. However, these airports have also experienced spillover delays, so the best option will depend on your specific routing and the flexibility your ticket allows.

Q10. How can I best prepare if I still have to travel through the Northeast in the next few days?
Travellers should check flight status frequently, ensure contact details are up to date with their airline, travel with essential items and medications in carry-on bags, and consider travel insurance that includes trip interruption coverage. Building in longer connection times and having a backup plan for meals and accommodation can also help reduce stress if further delays occur.