A powerful winter storm sweeping across the US East Coast on 22–23 February has triggered widespread aviation disruption, with thousands of flights cancelled and delayed across the Northeast corridor.
Major hubs including New York JFK, Newark Liberty, LaGuardia and Boston Logan reported extensive operational shutdowns as heavy snowfall, high winds and near-zero visibility impacted runway operations and aircraft movements. Industry tracking data indicates that more than 3,000 flights were cancelled on Sunday alone across the United States, with total cancellations and delays over the two-day disruption crossing several thousand as airlines pre-emptively scaled back schedules to ensure safety.
Amid the escalating weather warnings, Air India cancelled all flights to and from New York and Newark for Monday. In a travel advisory, the Tata-owned carrier said severe snowfall and harsh weather conditions forecast across New York, New Jersey and adjoining regions could significantly disrupt flight operations. The airline issued helpline support and rebooking assistance for affected passengers.
US carriers including Delta, United, American Airlines and JetBlue also activated weather waivers, allowing travellers to reschedule without penalties.
The disruption is expected to have ripple effects on transatlantic connectivity and onward international traffic, as aircraft rotations and crew schedules face knock-on delays. With the Northeast serving as a key gateway for global travel, the storm highlights the continued vulnerability of aviation networks to extreme weather events during peak travel periods.
Airlines are expected to gradually restore services once runway clearance and weather conditions stabilise.
