A fast-moving winter storm racing up the US East Coast forced the UAE’s two flagship carriers to scrap or reschedule more than a dozen rotations to New York (JFK/EWR) and Boston on 22–23 February. Emirates cancelled EK203/204 (DXB-JFK-DXB), EK209/210 (ATH-EWR-ATH) and the Dubai–Boston pair EK237/238, while Etihad pulled Abu Dhabi–New York and Boston services EY1/2 and EY7/8 and shifted EY3/4 by up to five hours.
The airlines warned that further disruptions are possible as the US National Weather Service maintains blizzard warnings along the Interstate-95 corridor. Passengers have been offered re-booking or full refunds and are urged to keep contact details updated for real-time SMS or e-mail alerts.
Operationally, the cancellations ripple far beyond the affected sectors. US-bound premium-class cabins and belly-hold freight from Asia and Africa funnel through Dubai and Abu Dhabi; missed connections will squeeze already-tight capacity during the post-Chinese-New-Year rush. Corporate travel managers should cross-check North American itineraries through at least 25 February and consider re-routing via Chicago, Washington D.C. or West Coast gateways that remain unaffected.
![Nor’easter Grounds UAE–US Routes: Emirates and Etihad Cancel New York, Boston Flights]()
Travellers scrambling to amend schedules may also need to adjust visa validity or obtain fresh travel authorisations. VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can expedite new ESTA submissions, U.S. visa interview appointments and other urgent documentation, ensuring both corporate mobility teams and individual passengers stay compliant despite the storm-driven disruptions.
Immigration implications are minimal—transit passengers whose visas or ESTA authorisations expire in the interim can usually obtain discretionary extensions—but overstays caused by weather are still a compliance red flag. Companies are advised to document force-majeure delays in employee files and to brief staff on the requirement to depart the United States within the authorised stay once normal operations resume.
For UAE-based assignees heading to client meetings or project kick-offs, the episode underscores the importance of contingency clauses in Statements of Work and travel insurance policies that cover missed milestones and per-diem overruns. Forwarders, meanwhile, should secure alternative capacity early; February cargo space on Europe-US lanes is already running at 92 % load factor, according to TAC Index data.
The airlines warned that further disruptions are possible as the US National Weather Service maintains blizzard warnings along the Interstate-95 corridor. Passengers have been offered re-booking or full refunds and are urged to keep contact details updated for real-time SMS or e-mail alerts.
Operationally, the cancellations ripple far beyond the affected sectors. US-bound premium-class cabins and belly-hold freight from Asia and Africa funnel through Dubai and Abu Dhabi; missed connections will squeeze already-tight capacity during the post-Chinese-New-Year rush. Corporate travel managers should cross-check North American itineraries through at least 25 February and consider re-routing via Chicago, Washington D.C. or West Coast gateways that remain unaffected.
Travellers scrambling to amend schedules may also need to adjust visa validity or obtain fresh travel authorisations. VisaHQ’s UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) can expedite new ESTA submissions, U.S. visa interview appointments and other urgent documentation, ensuring both corporate mobility teams and individual passengers stay compliant despite the storm-driven disruptions.
Immigration implications are minimal—transit passengers whose visas or ESTA authorisations expire in the interim can usually obtain discretionary extensions—but overstays caused by weather are still a compliance red flag. Companies are advised to document force-majeure delays in employee files and to brief staff on the requirement to depart the United States within the authorised stay once normal operations resume.
For UAE-based assignees heading to client meetings or project kick-offs, the episode underscores the importance of contingency clauses in Statements of Work and travel insurance policies that cover missed milestones and per-diem overruns. Forwarders, meanwhile, should secure alternative capacity early; February cargo space on Europe-US lanes is already running at 92 % load factor, according to TAC Index data.
