US storm alert: Air India cancels New York, Newark flights on January 25-26; heavy snow, wind chills affect travel

Air India has cancelled flights to and from New York and Newark on January 25 and 26 due to a severe winter storm forecast for the US East Coast, which is expected to affect flight operations.

The Tata Group-owned airline runs daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai to New York. There are also daily flights from Delhi to Newark, while flights between Mumbai and Newark operate on specific days of the week, PTI reported.

Air India announced on Saturday, January 24, that a severe winter storm, bringing heavy snow, is expected to affect New York, New Jersey, and nearby areas on the US East Coast from early Sunday morning through Monday.

"In view of the safety, well-being and convenience of our passengers and crew, all Air India flights to and from New York and Newark have been cancelled on 25 and 26 January," the airline said in a post on X.

The storm is expected to cover nearly 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometres), bringing heavy snow, crippling ice, and subzero wind chill to some of the country’s largest cities. Economic activity could come to a halt along the storm corridor, and a shortage of road-clearing equipment and road salt in certain areas will complicate efforts to reopen highways, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Prices of natural gas spiked amid fears that ice-covered equipment could disrupt supply. Airlines cancelled over 6,200 flights, while Amtrak postponed dozens of trips. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority advised passengers to refrain from non-essential travel on Sunday and Monday, anticipating delays and disruptions across subways, buses, and commuter trains.

“We are fixing to be attacked by a severe Arctic blast,” the report quoted Houston Mayor John Whitmire from a media briefing Friday. “There is going to be a severe storm like few Houston residents have ever experienced.”

State and local officials advised residents to be prepared for power outages, frozen pipes, and blocked roads. Snow and sleet are likely to cover major cities across a thousand-mile area from Oklahoma to New York, while Boston could see more than 20 inches of snow.

The snowfall is likely be one of the most expansive in the US since the 1993 “superstorm,” Rob Carolan, chief executive officer of Hometown Forecast Services told the news agency.

“I have a feeling we’re going to see problems with travel into early next week,” Carolan said. “It’s going to take a while for airlines to get aircraft back into airports so they can operate.”