India’s flag-carrier has issued a rare two-day shutdown of its Delhi- and Mumbai-to-New York/Newark services after U.S. forecasters warned of a ‘historic’ winter storm set to batter the Northeast from Sunday. A travel advisory posted on X early Saturday announced that all Air India flights to and from JFK and EWR on 25 and 26 January are cancelled ‘in view of the safety, well-being and convenience of our passengers and crew.’
The airline operates three daily non-stops to the New York metro area and had been running near-full loads ahead of India’s Republic-Day weekend. Rebooking teams are now scrambling to place affected passengers onto later rotations via London or San Francisco, but seat availability is tight due to holiday demand and ongoing fleet maintenance that has reduced spare capacity.
![Air India Cancels New York and Newark Flights on 25–26 Jan as U.S. Blizzard Looms]()
Corporate-travel managers with U.S.-bound executives are advised to consider alternate routings via Chicago, Washington D.C. or the Gulf carriers, and to monitor downstream connections within North America, many of which are also expected to face weather-related disruption. Air India has waived change fees and is offering full refunds for travellers who opt to cancel.
The episode highlights the operational fragility of ultra-long-haul corridors when extreme weather hits a hub city. Firms running time-sensitive projects should build additional buffer days into itineraries and ensure travel policies allow for emergency accommodation and per-diem support if crews or staff are stranded.
The airline operates three daily non-stops to the New York metro area and had been running near-full loads ahead of India’s Republic-Day weekend. Rebooking teams are now scrambling to place affected passengers onto later rotations via London or San Francisco, but seat availability is tight due to holiday demand and ongoing fleet maintenance that has reduced spare capacity.
Corporate-travel managers with U.S.-bound executives are advised to consider alternate routings via Chicago, Washington D.C. or the Gulf carriers, and to monitor downstream connections within North America, many of which are also expected to face weather-related disruption. Air India has waived change fees and is offering full refunds for travellers who opt to cancel.
The episode highlights the operational fragility of ultra-long-haul corridors when extreme weather hits a hub city. Firms running time-sensitive projects should build additional buffer days into itineraries and ensure travel policies allow for emergency accommodation and per-diem support if crews or staff are stranded.
Source: The New Indian Express
