FALLOUT OF ‘BOMB’
A winter storm described by some forecasters as a “bomb cyclone” wreaked havoc on the East Coast on Thursday, burying New York’s LaGuardia Airport (above) and a Boston neighborhood (right) in heavy snow. Thousands of flights were canceled, roads were ice-covered and treacherous, and wind chills below zero were expected over the next several days. For the latest on the storm, visit
Air travel to and from the unseasonably warm Phoenix area is being affected by the massive winter storm moving up the East Coast.
More than 30 flights at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were canceled Thursday due to the storm described as a violent “bomb cyclone.” An average of 1,200 flights go in and out of Sky Harbor each day.
American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines all have canceled flights arriving from and departing to the northeastern region as temperatures plunge, Sky Harbor officials said.
United Airlines said it would monitor the weather and adjust flight schedules accordingly. It was too early Thursday afternoon to determine if more flights would be impacted over the weekend, said United Airlines spokesman Charles Hobart.
Most of the canceled flights — 22 — were scheduled between Phoenix and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, and Phoenix and Boston Logan Airport in Massachusetts.
United Airlines, which had five scheduled flights from Phoenix to Newark, limited its operations Thursday. They will only fly when they think it is safe for passengers and crew members, which could be as soon as Thursday night, Hobart said.
Other flights between Sky Harbor and these airports were also affected: John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania, and Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, documents show.
American Airlines had a total of 17 canceled flights to/from Phoenix. The airline did not foresee the weather impacting flights beyond Thursday, according to American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein.
Both United and American Airlines will work with passengers to re-book canceled flights without any fees, officials said.
Ticket holders should check with their individual airlines for the latest flight information.