Major airlines are preemptively canceling thousands of flights scheduled to come into and out of the East Coast of the United States as a potentially historic blizzard is expected to dump as much as three feet of snow and snarl transportation for tens of millions of people.
Flight-tracking website FlightAware.com noted Monday morning that around 4,000 flights have been cancelled for Monday and Tuesday. The post also said that almost all New York City flights will be cancelled Tuesday.
Delta Air Lines said on Sunday it will cancel 600 flights because of the blizzard warning, while United Airlines said it will cancel all Tuesday flights at airports in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Beginning on Monday night, the carrier will limit operations at Newark, LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports in the New York area, a spokeswoman said.
East Coast Readies Itself for Up to 3 Feet of Snow
A couple kisses during a blizzard in Times Square in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015.Benjamin Lowy—Getty Images Reportage for TIMEA man crosses the street in New York City during a snow storm in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Benjamin Lowy—Getty Images Reportage for TIMEPeople walk in front of the Manhattan Bridge in the DUMBO neighborhood as it snows in Brooklyn, NY on Jan. 26, 2015Andrew HinderakerA man walks through the middle of a snow storm in Times Square, New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Benjamin Lowy—Getty Images Reportage for TIMEA man waits to cross the street in Brooklyn, NY on Jan. 26, 2015.Andrew HinderakerA pedestrian passes through Johnstown Central Park, in Johnstown, Pa., Monday, Jan. 26, 2015.Todd Berkey—The Tribune-Democrat/APFishing boats ride out the storm at dock in Scituate, Mass., on Jan. 27, 2015. Michael Dwyer—APA worker pushes a snow blower down Lexington Avenue in Manhattan on Jan. 26, 2015.Carlo Allegri—ReutersA man stands in falling snow on West 42nd street in Times Square in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Mike Segar—ReutersTwo people huddle for warmth on the street in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015.Benjamin Lowy—Getty Images Reportage for TIMEA man strolls on a walking path at Liberty State Park, with the Statue of Liberty in the distance, in Jersey City, N.J. on Jan. 26, 2015.Julio Cortez—APA tugboat sails on the East River during a snow storm in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty ImagesPeople walk over the Brooklyn Bridge during a large winter storm in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015.Andrew Kelly—EPAA man crosses the street during a snow storm in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Benjamin Lowy—Getty Images Reportage for TIMEA woman walks though Central Park as it snows in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Carlo Allegri—ReutersChildren play in Central Park as it snows in the Manhattan borough of New York City on Jan. 26, 2015. Carlo Allegri—ReutersLoaves of bread sit on a sparse shelf at a grocery store in Port Washington, New York on Jan. 26, 2015. Shannon Stapleton—ReutersA crewmember de-ices a Frontier Airlines plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Jan. 26, 2015. Seth Wenig—APCrews load road salt into trucks ahead of a major winter storm in Chelsea, Mass. on Jan. 26, 2015.Brian Snyder—ReutersSnow falls in New York City on Jan. 26, 2015.Benjamin Lowy—Getty Images Reportage for TIME
Southwest Airlines said Sunday evening it would cancel more than 130 of 3,410 flights scheduled for Monday due to the storm, an increase from its earlier plan to cancel about 20 flights.
American Airlines said cancellation plans would not be finalized until Monday morning, but that the airline expected “quite a few” flights to be affected. Flightaware.com showed 637 flights canceled for Monday as of Sunday evening.
Nearly all of the major U.S. carriers have waived the change fee for customers flying from affected cities during the storm, reported USA Today.
