Over 3,600 U.S. flights canceled as storms hit East Coast

The latest winter’s storm to hit the U.S. has seen over 3,600 flights canceled on Thursday, with Newark and Boston airports hardest hit. The majority of canceled flights are domestic, and airports are operating a ‘wait and see’ policy with regard to the cancelation of international flights, many of which were scheduled to depart in the evening. Moving forward, one of the principal concerns relating to potential international flight cancelations is the unavailability of cabin crew, who will be out of position.
New York’s Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia both suspended all flights as a result of high winds and whiteout conditions. This meant that American Airlines was forced to scrap its entire schedule for Thursday, up until 3 p.m., while also canceling its shuttle flights to Boston and Washington D.C. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey indicated that it had 524 pieces of snow equipment at the area’s airports, capable of melting up to 500 tons of snow per hour, though some flights may still be canceled due to high winds and poor visibility.
70 percent of flights at Newark, New Jersey’s Liberty Airport, the Hub of Delta Air Lines, have been canceled, while JetBlue’s Hub, Boston Logan International Airport has seen 720 flights canceled today.
Southwest Airlines is facing the prospect of canceling, delaying or diverting flights from 19 East Coast airports.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the largest airports in the New York area confirmed that the AirTrain connecting the subway with the airport’s terminals, has been suspended.