As of February 23, hundreds of flights from Europe to North America are dealing with extreme disruption as a consequence of a mix of extreme winter climate and escalating violence in Mexico.
Airways together with British Airways, Aer Lingus, Air France and Lufthansa have canceled or delayed transatlantic flights, leaving passengers stranded at main airports together with London Heathrow, Dublin and Paris. The turmoil has been introduced on by winter storm Hernando hitting the northeastern United States, snowstorms in Canada, and cartel-related unrest in Mexico following the demise of “El Mencho,” the chief of the Jalisco New Era cartel. Passengers are being warned to test their airline apps and authorities advisories for the most recent info.
Winter Storm Hernando causes mass cancellations of U.S. flights
Highly effective Northeastern Winter Storm Hernando introduced heavy snow, excessive winds, and blizzard situations throughout the U.S. East Coast, resulting in greater than 8,000 flight cancellations from February 22 to 23. Along with main airports reminiscent of New York’s JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR), Boston Logan Airport (BOS) has additionally suspended operations, instantly impacting flights from Europe. Within the UK alone, related issues have occurred at Gatwick and Manchester airports, with 32 flights suspended from Heathrow to John F. Kennedy on February twenty third. Irish routes have additionally been hit laborious, with Dublin Airport canceling 13 flights to the US as a consequence of “unreachable journey situations” attributable to the storm. Airways reminiscent of Delta Air Traces, United Airways and American Airways have introduced exemptions, however the affect might prolong by means of February 24 as crews are redeployed.
The energy of the storm, with as much as 2 ft (60 centimeters) of snow and wind gusts exceeding 60 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour), means security is extra vital than ever, forcing pre-emptive cancellations to keep away from grounding planes.
Cartel violence causes Mexican streets to be set on fireplace, flights grounded and evacuations suggested
In Mexico, the February 22 navy raid that killed infamous cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes sparked widespread violence in Jalisco state, together with street blockades, car torching, and clashes. In consequence, all worldwide flights to Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Guadalajara (GDL) have been canceled on February twenty second, with many prolonged till February twenty third. Puerto Vallarta (PVR) issued an announcement saying that flights are persevering with, however there isn’t a agency assure that outbound flights from the airport have arrived.
European airways, together with U.S. and Canadian carriers reminiscent of Air Canada and WestJet, have suspended flights to those vacationer spots. Direct flights from cities reminiscent of Frankfurt and Madrid have been affected, with vacationers stranded by shelter-in-place orders from the US, UK and Germany.
The violence has been marked by insurgents storming airports and setting companies on fireplace, with no civilian casualties reported however prompting journey warnings and exemptions from rebookings.
Snowstorm disrupts routes from Europe to Canada
Flights from Europe to Canada face twin climate threats. Storm Hernando has induced flight cancellations at airports in Europe together with Paris and Vienna, and localized snowstorms have delayed arrivals at Toronto and Edmonton. Toronto Pearson noticed dozens of energetic cancellations forward of the heavy snowfall, impacting transatlantic service from hubs reminiscent of Amsterdam and Frankfurt.
⚠️ #Mexico Journey recommendation updates ⚠️
Safety incidents have additionally been reported in different elements of Mexico. Because the state of affairs evolves, you must stay vigilant and observe native security recommendation wherever you’re in Mexico. https://t.co/9skJHksfTG pic.twitter.com/tf2mSnRWiu
— UKinMexico🇬🇧🇲🇽 (@UKinMexico) February 22, 2026
Equally, Canadian airways have suspended flights to Mexico in response to the violence, though direct disruptions between Europe and Canada stay principally weather-related. Consultants can predict ongoing delays because the system clears and advise versatile itineraries.
For real-time updates, go to FlightAware or the airline’s official web site, in addition to the web sites of your nation’s consulates, such because the UK.