The disruption affected flights within, into, and out of the United States as heavy storms moved across the region. According to FlightAware, at least 7,000 flights were impacted as airports in the New York City area, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. experienced significant operational problems.
Weather conditions also led to flood warnings and tornado watches across parts of the Northeast. At least two tornadoes were spotted, including one in northeast Pennsylvania and another in northern New Jersey.
FAA Ground Stops Affect Major Airports
As reported by to Fox Business, the severe thunderstorms forced the FAA to issue ground stops at multiple airports, temporarily restricting aircraft movement because of the weather conditions.
The affected airports included Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) in Maryland, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in Massachusetts, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Westchester County Airport (HPN) in New York, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in Pennsylvania, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia.
Canada’s Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) also received a ground stop.
While John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was not under a ground stop Tuesday afternoon, it experienced an average ground delay of about four hours because of the severe weather, according to FlightAware. In the New York City metropolitan area alone, nearly 600 departing flights were canceled and more than 500 others were delayed.
Airlines Offer Rebooking Options for Affected Passengers
Several U.S. airlines announced travel advisories and flexible options for customers affected by the storm-related disruptions.
JetBlue said repeated rounds of severe weather across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic had significantly affected travel plans for many customers. According to the airline, its teams were working to assist impacted travelers in reaching their destinations.
JetBlue customers with affected flights could rebook travel through Sunday or request a refund to their original form of payment.
United Airlines announced that it was waiving trip change fees for eligible customers who rebook flights departing by Thursday. The airline said passengers could reschedule their trips without paying change fees and fare differences, provided the new flight was a United flight departing between July 20, 2026, and July 23, 2026, with the same cabin and between the same cities as the original booking.
American Airlines said it would notify affected customers through email or its mobile application. Eligible travelers needed to rebook by Wednesday, with new travel scheduled by Friday.
Storms Continue To Disrupt Travel Across the Region
The weather event created widespread delays and cancellations as storms moved through areas with some of the busiest airports in the country.
According to FlightAware, the number of disruptions was expected to rise as the storms continued moving through the region. The combination of airport ground stops, departure delays, and canceled flights left thousands of passengers facing changes to their travel plans.
Airlines continued providing updates and assistance options as travelers worked to adjust their itineraries following the severe weather.
