Amid snowstorm fears, holiday travellers were faced with a dire reality in the face of mass flight delays and cancellation in New York. As per flight-data tracker FlightAware’s updates cited by the Wall Street Journal, more than 1,200 flights to or from NY were cancelled for Friday and Saturday as wintery conditions threatened New Year holiday plans.
According to the National Weather Service’s forecast, parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut were expected to witness 5 and 9 inches of snow from late Friday afternoon onwards.
Major US airports, airlines impacted by winter snow forecast in New York
Impacted airports included New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport and New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International. Moreover, the most affected carrier was JetBlue, as per the WSJ report. Just ahead of the storm, the American airline cancelled over 380 flights scheduled for Friday and Saturday, accounting for about a fifth of its originally planned total flights.
As more and more cancellations and air travel snags amplified, United, Delta and American Airlines each had more than 700 flights delayed. The US air travel crisis was particularly attention-grabbing, as the upset unfolded during peak holiday season.
On top of that, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had even predicted a record-breaking feat with the expectation of 5.7 million passengers travelling through the three aforementioned major hubs, along with Stewart International Airport, during the period between December 22 and January 4.
State of emergency in New Jersey
New Jersey Acting Governor Tahesha Way declared a State of Emergency for the state ahead of the looming snowstorm. It went into effect at 1 pm local time for all 21 counties.
“This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel,” said the acting governor. “We are urging travelers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to the roads. Drivers should plan their travel accordingly, monitor conditions and road closures, and follow all safety protocols.”
In an advisory, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that ground stops or delays could go into effect from Friday afternoon onwards across the three major airports in New York. Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, Philadelphia International Airport and Virginia’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were also included in the list.
