Home » AIRLINE NEWS » Blizzard Forces SWISS to Cancel Nine Transatlantic Flights Between Zurich, Geneva, and US Cities: What New Updates You Need to Know
Published on
February 24, 2026
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Due to the massive winter storm that has been impacting US airports and other airports like Geneva and Zurich, SWISS has cancelled nine flights to the US that are still available for booking. SWISS flights to New York (JFK), Newark, and Boston are the flights that have been cancelled, and this includes services for Sunday and Monday flights.
Blizzard Effects from Previous Nor’easter Storm
Operational disruptions for SWISS were due to the blizzard from the prior Nor’easter storm that hit Boston on Feb 23. This caused SWISS to cancel four services on Sunday and five on Monday. The blizzard cascaded down to all flights in the network, impacting even other continents of the world.
SWISS cancelled additional flights but indicated delays could last an additional 24 to 36 hours. Delays were due to wide-body flight crews being out of positions and operational imbalances. Delays across SWISS long-haul networks would continue for travelers impacted by disruptions.
Rebooking for Passengers Impacted
Because of the cancellations, SWISS put measures in place to ensure travelers could continue their trips with the least amount of hassle. Travel managers who had urgent Monday morning meetings were asked to push their flights to Tuesday or take Chicago operationally stable flights. SWISS opened an Amadeus desk to manage impacted passengers along with newly created flight routes. Passengers were assured Star Alliance Changes would not apply to the impacted travel customers. The airline’s flight schedules inconvenienced storm-affected US airports. Because of an increase in rebooked travelers, local airports such as Zurich and Geneva have taken measures to accommodate this increase in booked travelers. Zurich Airport had to bring in additional staff to manage check-in at passport control as travelers overflowing onto Schengen feeders have been rerouted to Zurich Airport. Geneva Airport has removed rental car drop-off parking fees at car rental locations, making it easier for travelers impacted by flight cancellations to continue on with their travel.
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Adjustment of Cargo and Logistics
Alongside the flight cancellations, the storm also impacted SWISS cargo services. Swissport, the airline’s ground handler, notified clients that in the cargo shed, while remaining open, perishables departing from the US East Coast are to be redirected to Philadelphia. From there, they will be trucked to Switzerland to avoid additional delays created by the storm.
Traveler Rights and Compensation
As for payment, the cancellations fall under the duty of care payments as stated by the EU261 regulations and Swiss air passenger rights regulations, wherein the airline has to provide accommodations and food if there are delays. However, due to the nature of the storm, cancellations fall under extraordinary circumstances, giving the affected passengers the right to no further payment. As for how the customers can be helped, SWISS has been more than clear in giving affected customers relevant information on how to receive supportive documents and/or financial aid.
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How SWISS has been Dealing with the Incident
The airline has fully committed to crisis management, and to further developing plans to continually minimize disruption for travelers. SWISS more than adequately implemented help desks, streamlined booking and made necessary changes at all affected international and domestic airports. In addition to this, the airline’s collaborative plans with international and domestic ground handling and airport authorities in Switzerland and the USA ensures travelers and airline operational staff are in crisis management.
While the immediate effects of the storm disruptions seem to be manageable, passengers flying SWISS in the coming days should be ready for possible knock-on effects. Travelers are encouraged to actively monitor the status of their flights in addition to reaching out to the airline’s customer service for updates.
