Airlines start canceling flights ahead of another monster winter storm on the East Coast
tioo Business
Airlines start canceling flights ahead of another monster winter storm on the East Coast


Travelers look at a flight status board as flights are delayed and cancelled following a significant winter storm at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, January 26, 2026.

Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Images

U.S. airlines began canceling Sunday flights and waiving cancellation and change fees for airports from Virginia to Maine ahead of another massive winter storm on the East Coast, set to once again put carriers to the test at the tail-end of winter break.

Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and Spirit Airlines waived fees and fare differences for passengers if they can travel as late as Feb. 26. Southwest Airlines said customers are eligible for a change without paying a difference in fare if they can rebook to fly or fly standby within two weeks.

The storm could bring between 13 and 18 inches of snow to parts of southern Connecticut and southeast New York, as well as winds of up to 55 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. The blizzard warning is set to begin at 6 a.m. ET Sunday.

As of 4:30 pm ET Saturday, close to 400 U.S. flights were canceled, according to FlightAware. Delta had the most, with 174 cancellations or 5% of its mainline schedule. New York airports, which make up a major Delta hub, were the most affected by Sunday’s disruptions.

The National Weather Service raised its initial assessment of the potential severity of a storm. The weather service now says 1 to 2 feet (about 30 to 61 centimeters) of snow is possible in many areas. Blizzard warnings were also issued for New York City, Long Island, southern Connecticut and coastal communities in New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

The weather service warned that the storm’s steady winds of 25 to 35 mph (40 to 56 kph) would “make travel dangerous, if not impossible.”

Winter Storm Fern in January, followed by bitter cold, caused mass travel disruptions across a large swath of the U.S.

Read more CNBC airline news

American Airlines had struggled to recover, drawing harsh criticism from flight crews, some of whom were stranded and had to sleep at airports, heightening tension between frontline employees and the company’s CEO, Robert Isom.

The storm cost American between $150 million and $200 million in revenue, the carrier said last month on an earnings call.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.


At least 9 dead in Madagascar as Tropical Cyclone Gezani hits the Indian Ocean island
tioo World
At least 9 dead in Madagascar as Tropical Cyclone Gezani hits the Indian Ocean island


ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Tropical Cyclone Gezani made landfall in Madagascar’s main port city, unleashing winds that collapsed houses and left at least nine people dead on the Indian Ocean island, authorities said Wednesday.

Wind speeds exceeded 195 kph (121 mph) and Madagascar’s weather service issued red alerts for several regions, warning of possible floods and landslides as Gezani moved across the largely poor country of 31 million people.

Madagascar, battered by another deadly cyclone less than two weeks earlier, is especially vulnerable to cyclones blowing in off the Indian Ocean.

The National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said at least nine people died as buildings collapsed and at least 19 people were injured as Gezani made landfall late Tuesday in the eastern city of Toamasina.

Toamasna, the island’s main port with around 300,000 residents, bore the brunt of the cyclone and sustained severe damage, residents told The Associated Press.

Madagascar President Michael Randrianirina, who took power in a military coup in October, visited Toamasina to survey damage and meet residents, according to videos posted on the Facebook page of the president’s office. The videos showed flooded neighborhoods, homes and shops with windows blown out and roofs blown off, and trees and other debris strewn across the streets.

“It’s devastation. Roofs have been blown away, walls have collapsed, power poles are down, trees have been uprooted. It looks like a catastrophic landscape,” Toamasina resident Michel, who gave only his first name, said over the phone.

Power has been cut off in Toamasina since Tuesday.

Gezani moved across Madagascar from east to west on Wednesday, weakening to a tropical storm as it moved inland, according to the national weather service.

The storm passed around 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of the capital, Antananarivo, which is one of the regions under a red alert warning for possible flooding.

On Jan. 31, Tropical Cyclone Fytia killed 14 people in Madagascar and displaced more than 85,000, according to the risk and disaster management agency.

Cyclone season in Madagascar is from around November to March and brings recurring weather disasters for one of the world’s poorest countries, which barely has time to recover before another hits.

Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, has been impacted by more than a dozen tropical storms or cyclones since 2020. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction say they cause an estimated $85 million worth of damage to infrastructure each year that impedes the nation’s development.

Forecasts showed Gezani was expected to move into the Mozambique channel between Madagascar and Africa’s east coast on Thursday and warned it might strengthen into a tropical cyclone again and turn back toward Madagascar’s southwest coast next week.

___

AP Africa news: