JetBlue announced on Monday that they would halt operations at New York's JFK, LGA and Newark airports as well as Boston Logan for 17 hours of rest for "equipment and crewmembers."
In a statement to The Huffington Post, the airline said:
Beginning at 1 p.m. ET today, we’ll reduce operations at JFK, LGA, EWR, and BOS. This is to ensure recovery of our operations as efficiently as possible and to be fully operable by tomorrow. This reduction will last through 10 a.m. ET Tuesday. At that time, we’ll gradually ramp up again – we intend to be 100% operational by 3 p.m. ET. This plan allows for 17 hours of rest for our equipment and crewmembers and time to service aircraft.
As one of the largest carriers in the Northeast, weather in this area impacts our entire route network and operations. This plan aligns with the current weather forecast: rain/light fog at JFK this morning. After 3 p.m. ET today, flash freezing is anticipated with potential record low temperatures in the New York area down to 0 degrees F in some cases by the end of the night.
We ask that customers ensure their contact information is in their record so we can send updated flight information. If you booked directly with JetBlue, we more than likely have your information. If you didn’t book with JetBlue, we may not have your information, so we ask that you check the status of your flight online. The call center is experiencing very heavy call volume, resulting in long wait times to speak to an agent.
JetBlue is committed to operating safely. We regret the impact to our customers.
They later Tweeted:
JetBlue's decision comes at a critical time for fliers returning from vacations, not to mention those already dealing with the thousands of flights that were canceled late last week thanks to Winter Storm Hercules.
Similarly, United Airlines Tweeted that they would reduce the schedule at O'Hare on Monday.
As of 1pm Monday, there were 3,770 flights canceled across the country (coupled with some 9,258 delays), according to Flight Aware. According to the Associated Press, there are roughly 1,600 flights canceled at Chicago O'Hare on Monday alone.