US flight cancellations to enter third day in Turkey

As Hurricane Sandy battered the eastern seaboard of the US on Tuesday, flights between Turkey and the US cities of New York and Washington looked likely to be canceled through Wednesday night or even Thursday. Turkish Airlines (THY) cancelled all flights between Turkey and the cities of New York and Washington on Tuesday, which included two Istanbul-New York flights, one New York-Istanbul flight, and a flight from Washington to Istanbul. As of early afternoon it had also cancelled its Wednesday flight between New York and Istanbul. Cancellations are likely to continue, however, as major US carriers including United Airlines, Delta Airlines and American Airlines warned customers this week that flights out of most East Coast cities would be cancelled as late as Thursday. US Airways, meanwhile, cancelled its Istanbul-New York flight on Tuesday, while thousands of Turkey-bound passengers are likely to find their connecting flights between European destinations and America’s East Coast cancelled.