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Emirates, Etihad cancel some flights to US ahead of Storm Fern
Storm Fern, predicted to peak on Thursday and Friday, is also expected to engulf an area stretching from Texas and the Great Plains region to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states
- PUBLISHED: Sat 24 Jan 2026, 11:45 AM UPDATED: Sun 25 Jan 2026, 3:53 PM
A major winter storm is expected to affect more than 175 million people as they face heavy snowfall and its impact including power outages and travel disruption.
Storm Fern, predicted to peak on Thursday and Friday, is also expected to engulf an area stretching from Texas and the Great Plains region to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states.
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Some flights from the UAE have been cancelled, with Texas already declaring an emergency. Forecasters warned it could be 2,000 miles (3,219 kilometres) long — well over half the length of the continental US.
Emirates has cancelled the following flights:
| Flight No. | Date | Route |
|---|---|---|
| EK203 | January 25 | Dubai to New York |
| EK204 | January 25 | New York to Dubai |
| EK201 | January 25 | Dubai to New York |
| EK202 | January 25 | New York to Dubai |
| EK205 | January 25 | Milan to New York |
| EK206 | January 25 | New York to Milan |
| EK203 | January 26 | Dubai to New York |
| EK204 | January 26 | New York to Dubai |
| EK209 | January 25 | Athens to Newark |
| EK210 | January 25 | Newark to Athens |
| EK221 | January 24 | Dubai to Dallas |
| EK222 | January 24 | Dallas to Dubai |
| EK231 | January 25 | Dubai to Washington |
| EK232 | January 25 | Washington to Dubai |
The airline has added four more flights to its list:
EK237/ January 25 – Dubai to Boston
EK238/ January 25 – Boston to Dubai
EK203/ January 26 ‑ Dubai to New York
EK204/ January 26 – New York to Dubai
The airline has said that travellers "connecting through Dubai on the above cancelled flights will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin". It urged travellers to reach out to their travel agents to reschedule their booking or contact the airline for further details.
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Etihad Airways also announced the cancellation of several flights to and from New York’s JFK Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport on Sunday (January 25), citing airport closures and severe weather conditions affecting North America.
The affected flights include:
EY1 Abu Dhabi (AUH) – New York (JFK)
EY3 Abu Dhabi (AUH) – New York (JFK)
EY2 New York (JFK) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
EY4 New York (JFK) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
EY5 Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Washington (IAD)
EY6 Washington (IAD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
All other Etihad services to the US and Canada are currently scheduled to operate as planned. However, the airline noted that the situation is evolving, and further delays or cancellations may occur if weather conditions worsen.
Etihad teams are assisting affected passengers, offering rebooking on alternative flights once services resume or providing full refunds upon request.
Passengers are advised to ensure their contact details are up to date via etihad.com/contactme.
Storm Fern impact
More than a foot of snow could be seen across the mid-Atlantic region, the forecasters warned, with Virginia and Maryland likely to bear the brunt as arctic air blows in.
US weather channels were running apocalyptic predictions of "crippling ice," and a 1,500-mile (2,414km) "snow zone" liable to see record-breaking snowfall, while warning that freezing rain could damage power infrastructure and trees.
New York City, the US financial capital and the country's most populous urban area, could see as much as 12 inches of snow, the Weather Channel warned.
In New York, the current cold snap has caused temperatures to collapse. On the morning of January 20, the National Weather Service's observatory in Central Park recorded a temperature of 16ºF (-9ºC) — or 2ºF (-17ºC) accounting for wind chill — the coldest temperature that the city has seen so far this winter.
[With inputs from AFP]
