More than 2,000 flights canceled as severe storms hammer East Coast

At least 7,000 flights were disrupted Tuesday as severe thunderstorms swept across the East Coast, snarling air travel at some of the nation’s busiest airports.

More than 2,000 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled, while over 5,000 others were delayed, according to FlightAware.

The storms prompted flood warnings and tornado watches across parts of the Northeast on Tuesday. Weather and emergency officials indicated at least two tornadoes were spotted — one in northeast Pennsylvania and another in northern New Jersey, according to Fox Weather. 

Airports in the New York City area, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., experienced some of the most significant disruptions.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops for at least eight U.S. airports due to the thunderstorms, including: 

• Maryland – Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
• Massachusetts – Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• New Jersey – Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• New Jersey – Teterboro Airport (TEB)
• New York – LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
• New York – Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains
• Pennsylvania – Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Virginia – Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
• Virginia – Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Canada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) also received a ground stop.

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While John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was not under a ground stop as of Tuesday afternoon, it was experiencing an average ground delay of about four hours due to the severe weather, according to FlightAware. 

In the New York City metropolitan area alone, nearly 600 departing flights had been canceled and more than 500 others delayed, the outlet reported.

Figures are expected to rise as the storms continue to move through the region.

Several U.S. airlines issued travel advisories and flexible rebooking options for affected passengers.

“Repeated rounds of severe weather across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic have significantly disrupted travel plans for many of our customers. Our teams are working around the clock to help affected customers reach their destinations,” JetBlue said. 

The airline said customers whose flights were affected may rebook travel through Sunday or request a refund to their original form of payment. 

United Airlines said it is waiving trip change fees for eligible customers who rebook flights departing by Thursday.

“You can reschedule your trip, and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences. But your new flight must be a United flight departing between July 20, 2026, and July 23, 2026,” the airline said. “Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”

American Airlines said it will notify affected customers by email or through its mobile app. Eligible travelers must rebook by Wednesday, with new travel scheduled by Friday.