Travel to and from much of the east coast of the United States has been shut down due to Hurricane Sandy. There are already several thousand flight cancellations and Hurricane Sandy hasn't even touched land yet.
Several thousand domestic and international flights to and from the mid-to-northeastern United States have been cancelled as Hurricane Sandy threatens the east coast. According to flight tracking site, FlightAware.com, over 6,800 flights have been cancelled so far.
About 1,250 flight were cancelled to and from the US on Sunday. Newark Airport took the hardest hit with 305 flights cancelled.
Over 5,550 flights to and from the US are cancelled. Philadelphia cancelled 1084 of their flights.
Airports all across the east coast cancelled flights. Newark, LaGuardia, and JFK advised airlines to cancel flights for Monday, but the airports themselves remain open. The Port Authority advises travelers to not even come to the airport. Philadelphia International Airport is completely shut down with no flights leaving or coming until mid-Tuesday.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport cancelled over 95 percent of flight for Monday. Baltimore International Airport cancelled almost all flight except for some morning cargo flights.
Middle Eastern, European, Asian and U.S. airlines have grounded flights in and out of America's eastern seaboard as 350-mile wide Sandy prepares to make landfall later Monday.
Many non-US airlines also cancelled international flights to and from the East Coast. British Airways cancelled flights to and from New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Baltimore according to CNN.
UK's Virgin Atlantic cancelled all east coast flights. London's Heathrow airport is advising travelers to check their flight status.
Qatar Airways and United Arab Emirates airlines Ethihad and Emirates cancelled their flights to the northeastern U.S. Germany's Lufthansa, Ireland's Aer Lingus, Australia's Qantas and Turkish airlines also cancelled flights to and from New York and other areas, according to CNN.
Every airline is allowing travelers to make flight changes for no fee and some are giving refunds. Call the airline or visit their website to find out more and to make changes.
Flights will definitely continue to be cancelled on Tuesday and cancellations may continue into Wednesday.
As of Monday, Hurricane Sandy was about 310 miles southeast of New York. The Category 1 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and is moving northwest at 18 mph. It is expected to hit the mid-Atlantic coast on Monday night and will linger around the area for a few days.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
