Transatlantic travel between Switzerland and the United States ground to a halt on 23–24 February as a powerful Nor’easter dumped more than 40 cm of snow on Boston and New York. Swiss International Air Lines (LX) confirmed the cancellation of nine rotations linking Zurich and Geneva to JFK, Newark and Boston Logan. The disruption affects roughly 2,700 passengers and strands several wide-body A330 crews in the United States.
While Swiss airports remained operational, inbound aircraft could not depart the snow-choked US hubs, forcing the airline to break the normal ‘wave’ structure of long-haul departures from Zurich. SWISS is rebooking travellers on partner carriers within Star Alliance and offering no-cost date changes through 2 March. Cargo customers shipping Swiss-manufactured pharmaceuticals—a time-critical export segment—have been advised to expect 24- to 36-hour delays.
![Blizzard in US Northeast Forces SWISS to Cancel Nine Zurich/Geneva Flights]()
For mobility managers the episode underlines the fragility of winter schedules and the importance of contingency planning. Employees holding US ESTA approvals may hit 90-day on-site limits if assignments are extended; HR should monitor visa-waiver stays. The blizzard also serves as a rehearsal for the Entry/Exit System (EES) queues expected later this year—re-routing through EU hubs could compound border-control wait times.
Should travellers suddenly need to refresh an expiring ESTA, secure a full U.S. visa, or adjust paperwork for connecting destinations, VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers fast online processing and expert support. The service can also brief corporate travel departments on forthcoming EES procedures, adding a helpful buffer when severe weather scrambles transatlantic itineraries.
Weather models show a second cold front forming over the Great Lakes; SWISS has not ruled out further cancellations. Travellers with tight project deadlines or essential cargo may wish to explore alternative routings via Chicago, which has remained largely unaffected.
While Swiss airports remained operational, inbound aircraft could not depart the snow-choked US hubs, forcing the airline to break the normal ‘wave’ structure of long-haul departures from Zurich. SWISS is rebooking travellers on partner carriers within Star Alliance and offering no-cost date changes through 2 March. Cargo customers shipping Swiss-manufactured pharmaceuticals—a time-critical export segment—have been advised to expect 24- to 36-hour delays.
For mobility managers the episode underlines the fragility of winter schedules and the importance of contingency planning. Employees holding US ESTA approvals may hit 90-day on-site limits if assignments are extended; HR should monitor visa-waiver stays. The blizzard also serves as a rehearsal for the Entry/Exit System (EES) queues expected later this year—re-routing through EU hubs could compound border-control wait times.
Should travellers suddenly need to refresh an expiring ESTA, secure a full U.S. visa, or adjust paperwork for connecting destinations, VisaHQ’s Switzerland portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers fast online processing and expert support. The service can also brief corporate travel departments on forthcoming EES procedures, adding a helpful buffer when severe weather scrambles transatlantic itineraries.
Weather models show a second cold front forming over the Great Lakes; SWISS has not ruled out further cancellations. Travellers with tight project deadlines or essential cargo may wish to explore alternative routings via Chicago, which has remained largely unaffected.
