If you were hoping to fly from Edinburgh to New York this week, I have bad news. Storm Hernando has buried the northeastern United States under more than a foot of snow, wind gusts have topped 30 miles per hour, and the National Weather Service has described travel conditions as “nearly impossible.” Which is one way of putting it.
Thirty five flights departing from Edinburgh Airport have had the second leg of their journeys cancelled. Similar disruption has hit Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, and Dublin. Over 5,000 flights in and out of the United States were grounded on Monday alone, with the worst of it concentrated around JFK, Newark, and Boston.
New York City issued a ban on non emergency travel on all streets, sent out alerts to every mobile phone in the five boroughs, and essentially told eight million people to stay indoors. Long Island reported 20 inches of snow. Freehold, New Jersey, had 19 inches. Rhode Island and New Jersey implemented their own road travel bans.
Scotland’s Connection
Edinburgh Airport is the main Scottish gateway to the US east coast, and when New York shuts down, the ripple effects arrive here within hours. The 35 cancelled connecting flights affect passengers who may have already left home, cleared security, and settled into departure lounges before learning they were going nowhere.
Airlines have advised passengers to check their booking status, which is the aviation equivalent of “not our problem, good luck.” If you are stranded, you will spend your time on hold listening to hold music that was chosen specifically to erode your will to live.
More than 500,000 customers along the east coast lost power, including over 212,000 in Massachusetts and 128,000 in New Jersey. The storm is being described as one of the worst to hit the region in a decade, which, given the pattern of recent winters, feels like a record that will not stand for long.
Climate and Air Travel
I am not going to pretend to be a climate scientist, but the pattern is hard to ignore. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more severe. Storms that used to be unusual are now seasonal fixtures. And every time one hits a major transport hub, thousands of passengers across the world discover how fragile the global air travel network actually is.
Edinburgh’s direct transatlantic routes have been a source of pride and economic benefit. But they also mean we are directly exposed to weather systems thousands of miles away. When New York sneezes, Edinburgh Airport catches a cold, if you will forgive the pun in a story about a blizzard.
For now, the advice is simple: check your flight, contact your airline, and prepare for delays. Storm Hernando will pass, the runways will be cleared, and normal service will resume. Until the next one.
