- Two overnight flights from the US to Dublin are cancelled on August 29 and 30, 2026, due to severe thunderstorms.
- The FAA implements widespread rolling ground stops along the US East Coast and major aviation corridors.
- United Airlines alone cancels over 200 flights during the late-August weekend storm system.
- Key airports affected include LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, JFK, Reagan Washington National, Orlando, Tampa, Atlanta, and Miami.
- Major carriers extend travel alerts and flexible waiver windows through the end of August for rebooking without penalty.
Two overnight flights to Dublin have been cancelled as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implements widespread rolling ground stops and severe flight disruptions along the US East Coast and major aviation corridors on August 29 and August 30, 2026, due to severe thunderstorms. Heavy downpours, lightning cells, and en route severe weather heavily impact key air traffic control sectors, creating a massive backlog. The storms directly affect multiple air traffic control centre sectors, including New York, Washington, and Jacksonville, as well as other regional hubs.
The Dublin flights affected are:
- Chicago EI122 arriving 05.10
- New York JFK EI108 arriving 11.35
Over the late-August weekend storm system, individual carriers suffer heavy hits; United Airlines alone cancels over 200 flights. Total nationwide cancellations and delays rapidly expand into the hundreds and thousands. The East Coast ground stops cause cascading delays worldwide, including trans-Atlantic cancellations such as Aer Lingus flights heading into Dublin from impacted hubs like Orlando (MCO) and Philadelphia (PHL). Widespread ground stops, ground delays, or severe traffic management initiatives hit the following airports: LaGuardia (LGA) faces severe delays with arrival caps slashed to 30 flights per hour, while Newark Liberty (EWR) and John F. Kennedy (JFK) face extensive delays and backlog recovery.
Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) receives an updated FAA ground delay for inbound flights on the evening of August 30 due to local thunderstorms, resulting in average delays exceeding an hour. Temporary ground stops and delays ripple out to Orlando (MCO), Tampa (TPA), Atlanta (ATL), and Miami (MIA) as the storm cells move through the airspace. The weather backlogs are further exacerbated by localized staffing triggers at major air traffic control hubs, specifically the New York TRACON and Boston Center. Major carriers like Delta, American, and JetBlue extend travel alerts and flexible waiver windows through the end of August to allow passengers to rebook without penalty.
FAA shared, The severe weather has necessitated rolling ground stops across multiple sectors to ensure passenger safety and manage air traffic flow.
United Airlines shared in a written statement, We are working diligently to accommodate affected passengers and apologise for the widespread disruption caused by the severe weather system.
Aer Lingus shared, Passengers on cancelled transatlantic services are being rebooked on alternative flights as soon as possible.
