Airlines are getting ready for the blizzard expected to hit the Northeast by canceling thousands of flights to and from the East Coast.
The move, which has resulted in over 1,900 flights being scrapped, is in preparation for a storm expected to hit states from New Jersey to Maine with as much as two feet of snow, according to Bloomberg. Tracking website FlightAware.com said in an email that cancellations will grow by the thousands over the next several days as the storm develops.
Airlines that have cancelled flights include Delta Air Lines, which cut about 600 flights, and JetBlue Airways, which scrapped around 280. New York's three airports, LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty, have scrubbed about half of arrivals scheduled for Monday and over a third of the day's departures.
The forecast for the blizzard includes two-three feet of snow for New York City, 18-24 inches for Boston and 14-18 inches for Philadelphia, Fox News reported.
Most major airlines are letting customers with cancelled flights book new flights in the next few days free of charge.
By cancelling flights early when rough weather is expected, flights are not only about to keep crew members and passengers safe, but also resume services quicker by relocating planes to airports unaffected by the storm, Bloomberg reported.
The storm is the biggest expected to hit New York since the state got hit with 26.9 inches on snow in February 2006, with The National Weather Service forecasting this week's storm to cover the Northeast with as much as 24 inches.
Preparations are also being made for other forms of traveling besides flying, with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo warning people commuting to New York City that the city's subway, as well as commuter trains for Metro North, Long Island Railroad and PATH could get cancelled before rush hour on Monday evening due to the storm, Fox News reported. The Greater New York Taxi Association has also prepared for the storm by offering free rides to emergency responders trying to get to work, as well as to stranded disabled and elderly residents.
Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have been using Twitter to warn New Yorkers about the blizzard, with Cuomo tweeting that the New York State Thruway, Interstate 84, the Long Island Expressway and other major roads could be shut down until the storm is over. Both Cuomo and de Blasio advised people living in the city to work from home Monday if they could.
"If you must go to work, go in early and go home early," de Blasio wrote in a Twitter post on Sunday. "It will not be safe to be on the roads in the snow."
