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- More than 2,000 flights canceled as severe storms hammer East Coast (foxbusiness.com)
Severe thunderstorms sweeping across the East Coast on Tuesday caused major disruptions at some of the country’s busiest airports, leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays.
According to FlightAware, over 2,000 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were canceled, and more than 5,000 were delayed. The storms triggered flood warnings and tornado watches in parts of the Northeast, with at least two tornadoes reported-one in northeast Pennsylvania and another in northern New Jersey, as confirmed by Fox Weather.
Airports in major hubs including New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., faced significant operational challenges. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed ground stops at eight U.S. airports to manage the disruptions.
These included Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), Boston Logan (BOS), Newark Liberty (EWR), Teterboro (TEB), LaGuardia (LGA), Westchester County (HPN), Philadelphia International (PHL), Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), and Washington Dulles International (IAD). Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada also experienced a ground stop.
While John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was not under a ground stop by Tuesday afternoon, flights there were facing average ground delays of around four hours.
In the New York City metro area alone, nearly 600 departing flights were canceled, with over 500 others delayed. Travel disruptions are expected to increase as the storms continue moving through the region.
Several airlines responded by issuing travel advisories and offering flexible rebooking options. JetBlue emphasized that severe weather has “significantly disrupted travel plans” and is working around the clock to assist customers. The airline is allowing affected passengers to rebook flights through Sunday or request refunds.
United Airlines announced it is waiving trip change fees for customers rescheduling flights departing by Thursday, with rebooked flights valid between July 20 and July 23, provided they remain within the same cabin and route.
American Airlines is notifying impacted travelers via email or its mobile app, requiring rebookings by Wednesday for travel through Friday.
As the East Coast contends with ongoing severe weather, travelers are encouraged to monitor flight status closely and take advantage of the flexible options provided by airlines.
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- More than 2,000 flights canceled as severe storms hammer East Coast (foxbusiness.com)