Dubai-based Emirates Airline has proactively canceled multiple flights to and from the United States in anticipation of Winter Storm Fern, a massive weather system forecasted to bring severe conditions across a significant portion of the country. The cancellations, affecting routes through Thursday and Friday, are a direct response to warnings of heavy snowfall, potential infrastructure damage, and widespread travel chaos.
The storm is predicted to impact an estimated 175 million people across a staggering 2,000-mile corridor, stretching from Texas and the Great Plains to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. In preparation, Texas has already declared a state of emergency. Forecasters are warning of apocalyptic conditions, including a 1,500-mile ‘snow zone’ capable of producing record-breaking accumulations, ‘crippling ice,’ and freezing rain that could lead to prolonged power outages by damaging critical infrastructure.
Specific canceled Emirates flights include EK203/204 and EK201/202 on the Dubai-New York route for January 25th and 26th. Additional axed services involve flights to Dallas (EK221/222), Washington D.C. (EK231/232), and transatlantic routes from Milan and Athens to New York and Newark. The airline has explicitly stated that passengers booked on these flights, including those connecting through Dubai, will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin. All affected travelers are being urged to contact their booking agents or the airline directly to reschedule.
The mid-Atlantic region, particularly Virginia and Maryland, is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with projections of more than a foot of snow. Major urban centers are also on high alert. New York City, the nation’s financial capital, is forecast to receive up to 12 inches of snow, exacerbating an existing cold snap that recently delivered the city’s coldest temperature this winter at 16°F (-9°C), feeling like -17°C with wind chill. The airline’s decision underscores the severe and far-reaching impact Storm Fern is anticipated to have on domestic and international travel networks.