Airlines cancel thousands of US flights as winter storm cripples East Coast airports

By Nana Karikari, Senior Global Affairs Correspondent

A powerful blizzard—a violent winter storm of freezing snow and high winds often described as an “ice harmattan”—has crippled the United States’ East Coast, triggering a massive transport crisis that is rippling across international borders and affecting thousands of travelers during the final window of the winter break.

From Maryland to Maine, a 700-mile stretch of the U.S. coastline remains under emergency conditions. The storm has cut power to nearly half a million homes and grounded more than 10,000 flights since Sunday. The National Weather Service warned that travel will be treacherous, with blowing snow causing low visibility and high wind gusts expected to last throughout the day.

Aviation Crisis Hits Global Hubs

The blizzard has effectively severed a primary air bridge between North America and the African continent. Major hubs in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have ceased most operations, testing the recovery limits of major global carriers.

By Monday afternoon, over 4,900 U.S. departures were canceled—close to 20% of the nation’s total daily schedule. Data from aviation firm Cirium indicates that nearly a quarter of all inbound international flights were also scrapped.

At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, more than 1,000 departures and arrivals—over 90% of the day’s schedule—were canceled Monday. Similar disruptions hit Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, which serve as vital transit points for the West African diaspora. Boston Logan International Airport saw more than 90% of its flights scrubbed, while Philadelphia International Airport saw over 80% of its schedule canceled.

Cities Under Ice and Darkness

The scale of the storm has overwhelmed local infrastructure. Central Park in New York City recorded over 19 inches of snow, marking the ninth-heaviest snowfall in the city’s history. Heavy snow has already totaled nearly 2 feet in parts of New Jersey and Long Island.

Power outages have plunged more than 400,000 people into darkness. Massachusetts reported 275,000 outages, while New Jersey, Delaware, and Rhode Island also faced significant blackouts.

Conditions on the ground reached a breaking point. “Boston is no stranger to nor’easters, but this is gonna be a big one,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “And so we need everyone to just be inside, stay warm, stay safe, and let the plows do their work.”

Travel Bans and Treacherous Roads

State officials took the rare step of banning nonessential travel to prevent fatalities. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a strict ban for the South Coast, citing “nearly impossible” travel conditions. She signed an executive order banning motor vehicles in Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, and Dukes counties and reduced speed limits on the Mass Pike to 40 mph.

In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani eventually lifted a travel ban at noon on Monday but remained cautious. “New York City continues to meet the urgency of this historic blizzard, and we will not stop until the storm has passed and our city is fully up and moving again,” Mamdani said. However, he noted that “conditions on the road are still icy and dangerous.”

Economic Toll and Relief for Travelers

For many Africans currently in the U.S., the timing is critical as disruptions are set to last through at least Tuesday. Airlines routinely cancel flights ahead of major storms to avoid having aircraft and crews out of place. Last month, a similar storm cost American Airlines an estimated $150 million to $200 million (approx. GH₵ 1.65 billion to GH₵ 2.2 billion) in revenue and led to heightened tension between front-line employees and the company’s CEO, Robert Isom, after crews were stranded and had to sleep at airports.

To assist passengers, American, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, and United Airlines have waived fees and fare differences for travel later this week, with some policies in place until March 4. Southwest Airlines said customers are eligible for a change without paying a difference in fare if they can rebook to fly or fly standby within two weeks.

American Airlines expects operations at JFK, LaGuardia, and Boston to resume Tuesday, with flights already resumed at Philadelphia and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. However, recovery remains slow; as of Tuesday morning, an additional 1,576 flights had already been canceled.

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