Air India cancels flights amid severe US winter storm

Air India and Emirates have cancelled multiple flights to and from the United States as a powerful winter storm sweeps across the country, bringing snow, ice, and extreme cold.

Air India announced that all flights to and from New York and Newark on January 25 and 26 have been cancelled.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the airline said the decision was made to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers and crew. Passengers booked on affected flights are being assisted, and the airline advised them to contact its 24x7 call centre or visit airindia.com for more information.

Historic flight disruptions expected

The storm has caused widespread travel chaos across the US aviation network. More than 2,700 weekend flights were cancelled, mostly in Texas.

Sunday is expected to become the worst day for US flight cancellations in the past year, with over 4,200 flights already cancelled as of Friday night, surpassing the previous record set last November.

Airlines have warned that additional delays and cancellations are likely in the coming days as freezing rain, snow, and dangerously low temperatures persist.

Emirates cancels multiple US flights

Emirates has also suspended several flights to and from the US due to the severe weather. On Friday alone, over 1,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, with more than half of these disruptions reported in Dallas. Saturday saw around 2,300 cancellations, according to FlightAware.

Officials said the US power grid is stronger than during the deadly winter storm five years ago, but experts warned that ice accumulation on power lines could still cause outages in some areas.

Millions of Americans affected

The storm is expected to impact two-thirds of the US population, stretching over 2,000 miles from Texas to New England.

Authorities have issued warnings about hazardous driving conditions, advising people to avoid travel whenever possible. Several states, including Texas, Missouri, New York, and New Jersey, have declared states of emergency to mobilise resources.

President Donald Trump said the administration is coordinating with state and local authorities, with FEMA ready to respond to the storm’s impacts.