As recovery from the devastating impact of Winter Storm Hernando begins in earnest at New York’s three major airports, Boston an Philadelphia, thousands of stranded passengers are slowly making their way home or to their destinations despite ongoing disruptions.
With more than 1,300 flights cancelled today at John F Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International airports, the situation remains challenging but shows signs of improvement as ground crews work around the clock to clear runways and taxiways covered in up to 60 centimetres of snow.
The storm, which brought record breaking snowfall and fierce winds to the northeast United States, forced the near total shutdown of air operations earlier in the week, with LaGuardia Airport experiencing cancellation rates approaching 98pct at its peak. Airlines such as Delta have started to gradually resume services from midday on Tuesday, with some international arrivals landing at John F Kennedy after noon, but extensive schedule adjustments continue as crews and aircraft reposition across the network.
Passengers affected by the cancellations are advised to check their flight status regularly through airline applications or websites and to take advantage of flexible rebooking policies offered by most carriers.
Many travellers have reported additional expenses, including alternative accommodation and transport, often reaching as much as three hundred euro per person, while European Union regulations may entitle those on qualifying flights to compensation of up to six hundred euro depending on the distance involved.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has confirmed that all airports remain open although with reduced capacity, and officials expect the recovery process to extend over the coming days due to the widespread displacement of resources. Light snow is forecast midweek but temperatures are set to rise above freezing, aiding clearing efforts although the risk of ice remains a concern for ground operations.
In the broader context, the total number of flight cancellations linked to the storm now exceeds 11,000 since Sunday, highlighting the vulnerability of the northeast aviation hub to extreme winter weather. As normal service resumes incrementally, the focus shifts to supporting affected passengers and preventing further knock on delays in the busy transatlantic routes..
Dublin flights affected on Tuesday February 24 included:
- Newark UA022@09.30 & inbound UA023
- Boston DL155@11.30 & inbound DL154
- Newark UA316@13.35 & inbound UAL317
Inbound
- Newark UA023@07.30
- Boston EI136@08.20
- New York JFK EI106£08.40
- Newark UA317@09.55
Boston to Shannon EI134@06.20 also cancelled
Dublin flights cancelled on Monday included:
- Newark UA022@09.30 & inbound UA023
- New York JFK DL045@10.45& inbound DL044
- New York JFK EI105@11.15
- Boston DL155@11.30 & inbound DL154
- Boston EI133@11.30
- Newark EI101@13.15 & inbound EI100
- Newark UA316@13.35 & inbound UAL317
- New York JFK EI107@16.40 & inbound EI106
- Boston E!137@16.45
- Inbound Philadelphia AA722
- Shannon to Boston EI1375@14.45 also cancelled
Dublin flights affected on Sunday included:
- New York JFK DL045@10.45
- Philadelphia AA729@11.30
- Newark EI101@13.15
- New York JFK EI107@16.40
Aer Lingus shared: Adverse weather (snow) is impacting a number of North American cities including Boston, New York and Philadelphia on Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd February. As a result, there may be delays and potential cancellations on certain services. If you are due to travel to/from Boston, Newark, or New York JFK on 23rd February, you can change your flight to a later date for free online*. If your flight is affected by the weather, you will be notified directly. We also strongly advise customers to:
- Please check your flight status for the latest updates.
- Check information on the operation of your departure airport Airports by Region.
- Allow extra time to travel to your departure airport
- If your booking was made through a third party (such as a travel agent, online agency or another airline), please be aware that they may receive flight status updates on your behalf. Please contact your travel agent / online agent for the latest communication.
*Customers availing of “change for free” may incur a change of fare difference with their new booking. This fare difference cost can be claimed back through this form.
