Major blizzard grounds thousands of flights across northeast US

A powerful winter storm has crippled air travel in the northeast US, cancelling thousands of flights and prompting wide‑ranging travel disruptions.

Blizzard conditions swept across New York and neighbouring states on Sunday and into Monday as heavy snow, damaging winds, and coastal flooding hit major population centres. According to aviation data, more than 5,300 flights within, into or out of the US have been cancelled on Monday alone, and tens of thousands more have been disrupted since Sunday, with major hubs including John F Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark, and Boston Logan International (BOS) largely shut down.

Global carriers including Emirates, Etihad, and Singapore Airlines have suspended services to or via New York until Tuesday, while Air India has also cancelled flights to and from New York and Newark until 24 February due to the severe conditions.

Virgin Atlantic confirmed: “We’re closely monitoring adverse weather conditions across the East Coast of the US from Sunday 22 February to Tuesday 24 February. Due to severe weather in New York and Boston, the Port Authority of New York and Boston has suspended operations at JFK and BOS Airport, which is impacting our flying programme.”

Passengers are being advised to check flight status before travel, and many airlines are offering free date changes amid the chaos.

A full travel ban is in place in New York City, meanwhile, with all streets, highways, and bridges shut to traffic, except for emergencies. The US National Weather Service has said the blizzard is likely to bring up to two feet of snow and dangerously low visibility, with officials urging “please stay home”.

This comes on the heels of a severe January storm in the US, which caused widespread flight cancellations and left travellers stranded across the country.