Published on : 28 Sep 2026
A rare September nor’easter has now entered its third consecutive day of disruption across the US Northeast — and it has created a travel crisis no other outlet is reporting in full. Fuel barges that normally keep Boston Logan’s Jet-A reserves stocked have been ordered to stay in New York port until the storm passes Monday night, leaving Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines scrambling to tanker jet fuel in by truck. FlightAware recorded 306 cancellations at Logan on Sunday alone. Delta has already cancelled more than 100 flights and issued an eight-airport warning. Fuel barge arrivals are expected today — but more cancellations are confirmed for Monday September 28. If you are flying out of Boston, New York, Providence, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard or Cape Cod today, read this before you go anywhere near an airport.
This is the story behind the story. Every outlet is reporting nor’easter cancellations. Nobody is explaining why Delta is being hit hardest when other airlines are still operating.
The answer is fuel.
Fuel barges have been told to stay in New York port until Monday, September 28, as the nor’easter calms down. The Jet-A shortage at the airport is also affecting JetBlue and American Airlines. Boston Logan’s Jet-A fuel reserves are normally replenished by tanker barges that travel up the New England coastline from New York. Airlines are being forced to tanker fuel on flights to Boston Logan International Airport because fuel barges that normally keep the airport’s Jet-A fuel reserves stocked up haven’t been allowed to set sail due to the threat of the nor’easter.
Tankering is a practice in which an aircraft is loaded with more fuel than it needs for its own flight — enough to supply its next departure from Boston without drawing on the airport’s ground reserves. It adds weight, burns more fuel on the inbound leg, and costs airlines more per flight. It is a contingency measure, not a routine one.
Boston Logan officials posted: “Due to the forecasted nor’easter, fuel ships cannot make their way up to Boston until it is over. We have enough fuel to get through the weekend, but just to be safe, we are asking airlines to bring extra fuel in their aircraft to lighten the fueling load here. We anticipate fueling ships to arrive as soon as the storm passes. There are no impacts on operations due to fuel, but there will be impacts due to the Nor’easter, so we encourage passengers to check with their airline before coming to the airport.”
Delta said it is taking steps to help minimise impacts on passengers, including operating inbound aircraft to Boston with additional fuel allocated for its next scheduled flight and transporting additional fuel via tanker trucks to supplement fuel reserves where feasible.
The fuel barge situation is expected to resolve today as the storm passes — but cancellations already confirmed for Monday September 28 will not be reversed. Slots are lost. Crews are out of position. Recovery takes days, not hours.
| Date | Logan Cancellations | Logan Delays | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Sept 26 | 253 | 36 | Storm begins — Cape Air cancels North Region entirely |
| Saturday Sept 26 | 261 | 249 | Delta 95 cancellations; Cape Air 115 cancellations at Logan |
| Sunday Sept 27 | 306 | 294 | Fuel barge crisis confirmed; Delta tops all US carriers |
| Monday Sept 28 | Further cancellations confirmed | Recovery begins | Fuel barges expected to arrive today |
As of Sunday at 3:00 p.m., FlightAware showed 306 cancellations at Logan — dozens of them from Cape Air and Delta Air Lines. Cape Cod is expected to be hardest hit by the nor’easter, with coastal flooding and winds between 50 and 65 mph expected. There have also been 294 delays at Logan Airport on Sunday.
Boston Logan International Airport is taking the biggest hit, with more than half of Delta’s scheduled routes at that airport cancelled as of Saturday morning. Additional cancellations elsewhere have pushed the carrier’s nationwide total above 100.
Additional cancellations are expected for Monday, September 28, but Delta expects fewer impacts than Sunday thanks to mitigation efforts across the operation.
Delta has extended its Northeast Weather Flexibility travel waiver, allowing eligible customers to adjust their travel plans without a fee. The BOS Weather Flexibility travel waiver also remains available to eligible customers. Customers with impacted travel plans will receive direct communications from Delta with information about their options.
Delta automatically rebooks customers to the next best itinerary. Customers can make further changes via the Delta app and delta.com. The eight airports Delta has flagged for disruption are: Boston (BOS), New York JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), Providence (PVD), Hartford (BDL), Nantucket (ACK) and Martha’s Vineyard (MVY).
Action: Go to delta.com/advisories or open the Delta app now. Do not call — hold times are extreme.
Cape Air announced that it had cancelled all flights in its North Region because of the weather. Passengers scheduled to travel on affected North Region routes from September 25 through 28 can move their trips to alternative flights through October 2 without additional fees.
Cape Air’s North Region serves Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, and the islands — communities with limited transport alternatives. If you are trying to reach or leave these islands today, do not go to the airport without calling Cape Air first.
JetBlue has issued a Northeast weather waiver covering flights operated between September 25 and September 27 involving Boston and several other airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), Nantucket (ACK), Martha’s Vineyard (MVY), Providence (PVD), Worcester (ORH) and Hyannis (HYA).
Action: Go to jetblue.com to rebook. JetBlue’s waiver allows rebooking through September 30.
American Airlines’ waiver covers Baltimore (BWI), Bangor (BGR), Boston (BOS), Hartford (BDL), Manchester NH (MHT), JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR) for tickets bought by September 24 and travel September 24–28, with rebooking changes to be completed by September 28 and travel through October 2.
Action: Today is the final day to rebook under American’s waiver. Go to aa.com/travel-alerts immediately if you have not yet changed your flights.
United Airlines is waiving fees and fare differences for passengers with flights to and from affected Northeast airports.
Action: Go to united.com to rebook. Check the United app for your specific eligibility.
Full waiver table:
| Airline | Airports Covered | Waiver Dates | Rebook By | How |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, PVD, BDL, ACK, MVY | Sept 25–28 | Extended | delta.com / app |
| JetBlue | BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, PVD, ACK, MVY, ORH, HYA | Sept 25–27 | Sept 30 | jetblue.com |
| American | BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, BWI, BGR, BDL, MHT | Sept 24–28 | TODAY Sept 28 | aa.com |
| United | BOS + Northeast | Ongoing | TBC | united.com |
| Cape Air | All North Region routes | Sept 25–28 | Oct 2 | capeair.com |
⚠️ American Airlines waiver expires TODAY. If you are eligible and have not yet rebooked, do it now — the deadline is September 28.
Most weather disruptions affect airports through wind, rain and low visibility. This nor’easter has done something far rarer — it has severed the fuel supply chain that keeps Boston Logan running.
Boston Harbor is the only practical way to deliver large volumes of Jet-A aviation fuel to Boston Logan. There is no pipeline. Road tanker trucks can carry fuel but at a fraction of the volume and speed of a barge. A single fuel barge can carry millions of gallons; a tanker truck carries roughly 9,000 gallons per trip.
When nor’easter conditions — sustained winds of 50–65 mph plus heavy seas — make navigation of Boston Harbor unsafe, the fuel barges stay in port. Southwest Airlines has previously put Texas jet fuel on a boat to Los Angeles when supply was threatened — the same logic applies here, just on a shorter route. This weekend, the barges stayed in New York.
The result is that airlines arriving at Boston must either:
A passenger on a flight from Nashville was stuck on the tarmac for 45 minutes. He was told that they were having issues fuelling outgoing aircraft, and so all the aircraft were stuck at their gates. The ground stop caused congestion between aircraft.
The fuel barges are expected to set sail for Boston today, September 28, as the nor’easter weakens. Full normalisation of fuel supply is expected by Tuesday morning.
Amtrak trains between Connecticut and Massachusetts are also cancelled today, as well as some services between Boston and New York.
If you were planning to take the train as a backup to a cancelled flight — Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is also affected. The road is your best alternative between Boston and New York today, though expect significant traffic delays from flooding and wind damage on I-95 and Route 1.
Alternative transport options for today:
| Time | Expected Status |
|---|---|
| Now — Monday morning | Cancellations continuing; fuel trucks operating; barges in transit |
| Monday afternoon | Fuel barges arrive Boston Harbor; reserve replenishment begins |
| Monday evening | Ground operations stabilising; weather improving |
| Tuesday September 29 | Near-normal operations expected to resume at BOS |
| Wednesday September 30 | Full schedule recovery anticipated across Northeast network |
The nor’easter itself is expected to weaken significantly by Monday evening. The aviation recovery will lag the weather recovery by 24–48 hours as airlines reposition aircraft and crews, clear backlogs and restore schedules.
If your flight is to or from Boston, New York, Providence, Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, or anywhere in New England today — check your flight status before leaving home. Under US DOT rules, if your airline cancels your flight for any reason, you are entitled to a full cash refund to your original form of payment. You do not have to accept a voucher or a travel credit. If you are rebooked automatically, you can still request a full refund and rebook yourself if the airline’s rebooked option does not suit your schedule.
Air Canada, WestJet and Porter Airlines all operate into Boston Logan and the New York area. If your Canadian carrier has cancelled a transatlantic or transborder flight due to this storm, Canada’s APPR entitles you to rebooking at no extra cost. Compensation for weather-caused cancellations is not required under APPR — but your right to meals after a 2-hour delay and accommodation for overnight delays applies regardless of cause.
British Airways operates Heathrow–Boston and Heathrow–New York services. Virgin Atlantic flies Heathrow–New York. If your UK-departing transatlantic flight is disrupted as a knock-on from the nor’easter, UK261 rights apply on the UK departure leg. On your return leg departing from the US, US DOT rights apply — full refund if cancelled, rebooking if delayed. Check with your airline directly if you have been affected.
Qantas operates Los Angeles–Dallas and Los Angeles–New York connections for Australian and NZ passengers. If your US domestic connection passes through Boston or the Northeast today, build significant extra time and monitor your booking carefully. Qantas’s Conditions of Carriage entitle you to rebooking at no additional cost when a delay is caused by circumstances beyond the airline’s control.
| Situation | Your US DOT Rights |
|---|---|
| Flight cancelled — any reason | Full cash refund to original payment OR free rebooking |
| Fuel-caused cancellation | Same as weather — rebooking at no cost; refund if you choose not to travel |
| Delay 3+ hours — weather | Meals and refreshments (airlines often provide voluntarily); no mandatory cash comp |
| Missed connection caused by delay | Free rebooking on next available flight |
| Stuck on tarmac 3+ hours | Right to deplane (with safety exceptions) |
| Airline offers voucher | You can refuse — cash refund is your legal right |
Key point on the fuel situation: The fuel shortage at Boston is caused by a weather event — the nor’easter preventing barge navigation. Airlines will classify cancellations as weather-related, which means no mandatory cash compensation beyond rebooking and care. However, you are always entitled to a full refund if the airline cancels your flight, regardless of the cause.
Posted By : Vinay
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is based on information available at the time of publication. Travel advisories, airline schedules, airport operations, visa requirements, government regulations, and other travel-related information are subject to change without prior notice. While Travel Tourister makes reasonable efforts to verify information using official announcements, government publications, airline and airport communications, and other reliable sources, we cannot guarantee that all information remains complete, accurate, or up to date at all times. Readers should independently verify any information that may affect their travel plans with the relevant airline, airport authority, government agency, embassy, or other official source before making travel, financial, or other decisions. Travel Tourister shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss, inconvenience, or damages arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this article. Nothing in this publication constitutes legal, immigration, financial, or professional travel advice. If you believe any information in this article is inaccurate or outdated, please contact our editorial team. We review all credible correction requests promptly and update our content whenever appropriate.
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