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Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have suspended several US-bound flights after severe snowstorms caused widespread disruptions across major American airports. The extreme winter weather led to safety concerns, airport closures, and operational delays, forcing the Middle East’s leading carriers to cancel services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha. Passengers have been advised to check flight status, rebook travel plans, and stay updated as airlines monitor weather conditions and resume operations gradually.
Major international airlines Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways have announced the cancellation or potential disruption of several U.S.-bound flights as a powerful winter storm, dubbed Winter Storm Fern, continues to batter large parts of the United States, forcing widespread travel disruptions, airport closures, and states of emergency across the country.
Winter Storm Fern has rapidly intensified, bringing heavy snow, freezing rain, ice and dangerously low temperatures from Texas through the Midwest and into the Northeast. The storm has become one of the most significant winter weather systems in recent years, prompting governors in at least 18 states to declare emergencies and leading to thousands of flight cancellations nationwide.
For travellers scheduled to fly between the Middle East and the United States this weekend, the impact has been immediate and significant, particularly for long-haul international services that connect through Gulf hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
Airlines routinely adjust schedules when extreme weather poses safety risks or threatens operations. In this instance, the primary driver behind the cancellations is severe winter weather, including snow accumulation, icy runways, and forecasted blizzard conditions that can hamper airport ground services, delay de-icing, and strain air traffic control systems.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) have issued widespread warnings, stating that heavy snow, ice, and high winds could persist for several days, affecting airports from major hubs like New York’s JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport to Dallas-Fort Worth and Washington Dulles.
Because these conditions can affect both departure and destination airports and create knock-on delays and cancellations across the global flight network, airlines have taken the preemptive step of cancelling flights rather than risking passenger safety or extensive operational disruptions.
Dubai-based Emirates has announced the cancellation of multiple flights to and from the United States between January 24 and January 26, citing the anticipated impacts of Winter Storm Fern.
The affected services include scheduled long-haul flights connecting Dubai (DXB) with major U.S. gateways such as:
Emirates has advised that customers connecting through Dubai on these cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin and has urged passengers to contact the airline or their travel agents to rebook or manage travel plans.
The airline is closely monitoring the situation and continues to update its flight status pages for real-time information, reflecting the rapidly evolving nature of weather-related disruptions.
Abu Dhabi’s national carrier, Etihad Airways, has also confirmed the cancellation of several flights between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and the United States. These cancellations primarily affect services to and from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on January 25.
Affected flights include:
Etihad stated that all other services to the U.S. and Canada are currently planned to operate as scheduled, but the airline warned that conditions remain unpredictable and further changes could be necessary if weather conditions deteriorate further.
To assist affected passengers, Etihad is providing rebooking options or full refunds for cancelled flights, in line with its customer-care policies. The airline has urged passengers to update contact details to receive the latest flight notifications via SMS or email.
While Qatar Airways has not published a full list of cancellations, the airline has issued advisories to passengers travelling to and from the United States, urging them to check the latest schedule updates via the Qatar Airways website or mobile app.
The advisory underscores that U.S. flight operations may be affected due to the ongoing winter storm, reflecting similar concerns expressed by Gulf carriers. Passengers are advised to regularly monitor their flight status and prepare for possible changes, including delays, cancellations, or reroutes.
Qatar Airways operates multiple daily flights between Doha (DOH) and U.S. destinations such as New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C., and disruption along these routes, even if not immediately cancelled, can create a ripple effect across the airline’s global schedule.
The disruption affecting Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways is part of a broader pattern of cancellations across global aviation due to Winter Storm Fern. Within the U.S., carriers ranging from American and United to Delta and Southwest have already cancelled thousands of flights, with flight cancellations nearing 15,000 into Monday as the storm progresses.
Thousands of flights within domestic U.S. markets are also being delayed and cancelled as airports struggle to keep up with de-icing and runway clearing operations. Major Northeast and Mid-Atlantic hubs, including New York’s JFK, Newark, Boston Logan and Philadelphia, are among those expected to be hardest hit.
Additionally, airlines such as Singapore Airlines have reported significant winter storm-related disruptions on U.S. routes, highlighting how far-reaching the impact of this system has been on international travel.
Airlines typically respond to weather disruptions by offering flexible rebooking options, travel waivers and refund policies to help passengers adjust itineraries without incurring additional fees. U.S. carriers have widely issued such waivers for flights affected between January 23 and January 25, allowing customers to modify travel plans without surcharge.
For travellers with Emirates, Etihad or Qatar bookings, it’s advisable to:
As Winter Storm Fern continues to move across the U.S., its broad impact on air travel, especially on long-haul international routes connecting through the Middle East, highlights how vulnerable global flight networks can be to extreme weather.
While airlines have taken proactive steps to protect passengers and crew, many travellers face uncertainty as operations adapt to rapidly changing weather conditions. Passengers scheduled to fly over the coming days should stay alert for updates, make contingency plans, and prepare for continued disruptions as weather systems settle and recovery efforts begin.
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