Winter Storm Fern Forces Gulf Carriers to Cancel Dozens of US Flights

Major Gulf carriers have canceled and rescheduled multiple flights to the United States. This action comes as Winter Storm Fern brings heavy snow, ice, and strong winds across North America. The severe winter weather has triggered widespread disruption at major US airports. This has forced airlines to adjust their long-haul international services.

Emirates Leads Cancellations

Emirates has been the most affected of the Major Gulf carriers. The Dubai-based airline canceled more than a dozen Dubai-US services. These cancellations occurred between January 24 and January 26. Affected routes included services to New York, Washington, and Dallas. Tag flights operating via Milan and Athens were also impacted.

Emirates implemented a strict policy for connecting passengers. The airline stated it was not accepting connecting passengers booked on the canceled sectors. Customers were strongly advised to check their flight status before traveling. This measure underscores the severity of the North American travel disruption.

Etihad and Qatar Airways Adjust Schedules

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways also canceled select Abu Dhabi-US flights. The cancellations were a direct result of the storm and subsequent US airport closures. Affected routes included flights to New York JFK and Washington Dulles. The airline is rebooking affected passengers on alternative services. They are also offering refunds in line with their travel waiver policy. Etihad confirmed that other services to the US and Canada were planned to operate as scheduled.

Qatar Airways, meanwhile, issued a warning to passengers. The Doha-based carrier cited adverse weather conditions and operational constraints at destination airports. They warned of potential disruption on services to key US hubs. These hubs included Dallas-Fort Worth, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, and Boston. The airline urged travelers to monitor its website for the latest updates.

Wider Industry Impact

The flight cuts by the Emirates Etihad Qatar Airways group reflect the broader impact of the storm. The severe winter weather led to thousands of US flight cancellations nationwide. Aviation analytics firm Cirium called this the largest cancellation event since the pandemic. More than 11,400 flights were canceled on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware data. The storm affected over 180 million people. At least 40 US airports were closed or operating under restrictions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is monitoring conditions closely. The agency is working with air traffic teams to ensure safety in the national airspace system. The widespread disruption highlights the challenges of maintaining global connectivity during extreme weather events. Aviation experts warn that recovery could take several days. This is due to cascading delays across airline networks.

Trusted commercial aviation news and airline industry reporting are available at flying.flights.