U.S. East Coast blizzard triggers over 6,000 flight cancellations, airlines waive fees

U.S. airlines have cancelled more than 6,000 flights through Monday as a powerful winter storm barrels across the East Coast, prompting widespread operational disruptions from Virginia to Maine.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for much of New Jersey, the New York City area, and parts of Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The storm is forecast to deliver up to two feet of snow in some areas, with wind gusts exceeding 40 mph, creating hazardous travel conditions and severely reduced visibility.

Airports in the New York metropolitan area have been hit particularly hard. Roughly two-thirds of Sunday’s flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport were cancelled, with around 40% of departures grounded. Disruptions are expected to intensify, with more than 70% of Monday departures cancelled across the region’s three major airports, as well as in Philadelphia and at Boston Logan International Airport.

Major carriers including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines have issued travel waivers, allowing passengers to rebook without change fees or fare differences within specified windows.

Preemptive cancellations are standard practice ahead of major storms, enabling airlines to reposition aircraft and crews and accelerate post-storm recovery. The latest system follows January’s Winter Storm Fern, which caused extensive nationwide disruption and cost American Airlines an estimated $150–200 million in revenue, while drawing criticism over operational recovery and crew welfare.

With heavy snowfall and high winds continuing, carriers face renewed pressure to restore schedules quickly once conditions improve.