Thousands of US flights disrupted as winter storm looms

Thousands of flights across the US have been cancelled or delayed as the northeast braces for a severe winter storm during the peak holiday travel season.

As of Friday night, 1,600 flights across the US had been cancelled and 7,400 had been delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

The most affected airports are John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia, which all serve the New York area. Boston, Chicago, and Toronto, Canada, are also impacted.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning from 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Friday until 13:00 on Saturday, with as much as 9 inches (23cm) of snow expected in New York and southern Connecticut.

JetBlue Airways had cancelled 229 flights, while Delta Air Lines scrapped 241 flights. Republic Airways and Southwest Airlines cancelled 180 and 151 flights, respectively. Around 100 scheduled flights by American Airlines and United Airlines were also cancelled.

On social media, airports were warning travellers to check with their airline to determine the status of their flights.

The heaviest snow was expected between 18:00 local time (23:00 GMT) and midnight. Drivers were warned of hazardous conditions and advised to bring an emergency supply kit.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said people should avoid unnecessary trips, but if they had to travel, they should “plan ahead, take it slow, and leave plenty of time to get to where you need to go safely”.

There were similar warnings from the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut.

This will be the second significant snowfall of the season for New York City, which was blanketed with several inches on 14 December.

Mayor Eric Adams asked people who drove to work on Friday to leave early or consider taking public transport home.

Snow ploughs were deployed and ready to begin clearing streets once two inches had accumulated.