Jet cancels, Air India delays flights due to Sandy

Jet Airways on Monday cancelled its flights to Newark and Air India "indefinitely delayed" those to New York and Newark due to Hurricane Sandy which is set to hit the East Coast of the United States.

These are among more than 6,000 flights that have been cancelled across cities on the East Coast due to the hurricane even as 370,000 people were evacuated from New York city.

Jet Airways cancelled its flights 9W 227 and 9W 228, operating between Brussels and Newark, on Monday, an airline spokesperson said, adding that the same flights scheduled on October 30 and 31 would be affected.

The private carrier has offered passengers to change their plans as required, without any penalty for the affected flights only.

"Guest booked on these delayed/scheduled change flights, can re-book themselves into alternative flights (with an allowance of one date/time change without penalty) by contacting the contact centre or their agent(s)," the spokesperson said.

Air India spokesperson said the airline's AI 191 Mumbai- Newark and AI 101 Delhi-New York have been "indefinitely delayed" due to the hurricane.

Passengers have been informed and transit passengers have been provided hotel accommodation in Delhi, the spokesperson said.

Expected to strike on Monday with a gusty wind and heavy rainfall, the hurricane is likely to create havoc in major parts of the United States in its East Coast -- from North Carolina to New England as far west as the Great Lakes.

US President Barack Obama has declared emergency in a number of states including New York, New Jersey, Virginia, District of Columbia and Massachusetts.

Government offices and schools have been closed and people from low-lying areas have been asked to evacuate, as the hurricane is expected to bring potentially life-threatening storm surges on the coast ranging from several feet to potentially as high as 11-feet in the coastal areas.

The metro systems of several cities including that of Washington, DC, the national capital, Philadelphia and New York, which has the world's largest rapid transit system, have been closed.

The United Nations headquarters in New York too has been shut down for two days.