Kenya Airways Cancels 2 Flights To & From New York
Kenya Airways indicated that the cancellations were made in the interest of safety, stressing that the well-being of passengers and crew remains its top priority
Marvin Chege 
Kenya Airways has cancelled two scheduled flights between Nairobi and New York following adverse winter weather conditions in the United States.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the airline confirmed that Flight KQ 002 from Nairobi (NBO) to New York (JFK) on January 24 and Flight KQ 003 from New York (JFK) to Nairobi (NBO) on January 25 were cancelled due to snowstorms affecting parts of the US.
The national carrier warned that additional disruptions may follow, noting that KQ 002 on Sunday, January 25, could be affected, with potential spillover delays to KQ 003 on Monday, January 26.
Kenya Airways indicated that the cancellations were made in the interest of safety, stressing that the well-being of passengers and crew remains its top priority as weather conditions continue to be monitored.
Image of a Kenya Airways aircraft landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi. /ZAWYA
Passengers have been advised to check the airline’s website and mobile application for updates or contact the Customer Excellence team via phone, WhatsApp, or X.
"For the latest flight updates, please check our website or mobile app, or reach our Customer Excellence team on +254 711 024 747, WhatsApp +254 705 474 747, or X @KQSupport," announced the airline.
The disruptions are part of wider weather-related travel challenges across the United States, where winter storms have forced multiple airlines to ground flights and adjust schedules.
More than 8,000 flights set for the weekend have been grounded, flight-tracking data shows, with thousands of others running late as heavy snowfall, ice, and plunging temperatures disrupt large swathes of the United States.
Weather alerts now span a broad corridor from New Mexico to New England, with forecasters cautioning that ice build-up in parts of the southern US could inflict damage on a scale similar to a hurricane. In northern states, conditions have turned extreme. Wind chill temperatures have dipped below minus 45°C in areas of the Dakotas and Minnesota, creating life-threatening exposure risks.
Several state governors have declared emergencies or urged residents to stay off the roads, while federal agencies confirmed that emergency response teams have been placed on standby as the storm intensifies.
WMO advisory
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Friday, January 23, 2026, issued an advisory warning of dangerous winter weather expected to grip large parts of the US over the weekend.
The organisation outlined an uneven progression of the storm system, starting with light mixed precipitation in western Oklahoma before expanding into northern and eastern regions as temperatures continue to fall.
The WMO flagged that precipitation is likely to intensify from late Friday afternoon into the evening, significantly raising the risk of hazardous conditions.
It also warned that road and air travel could become slippery and unsafe during and after the storm’s onset, urging the public to keep warm and follow guidance from local authorities.
According to the agency, heavy snowfall is expected across the Central and Southern Plains as well as the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valley as the weather system strengthens.
