If you took international flights during the last week of September, you may have felt it. A cut fiber line closed the airspace over the busiest corridor in the United States for most of a Monday. A rare September nor’easter followed on the weekend. In Europe, a strike in Iceland lasted one morning and another one in Italy is scheduled for September 30. In the Gulf, airlines are still deciding when to return to Dubai.

None of these events were connected. Together, they are a useful reminder of how many things have to go right for an international flight to leave on time. Here is what happened, verified against the original reporting, and what it means if you are flying in the coming days.

A cut fiber line stopped flights across the Northeast

On Monday, September 21, a circuit blew at the Philadelphia air traffic control facility that guides aircraft in and out of Newark, Teterboro and Philadelphia. The FAA switched to its backup system and discovered the backup line in New Jersey had been cut. To replace the circuit, the FAA temporarily closed the airspace in the Northeast and expanded ground stops to include New York’s JFK and LaGuardia.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later said an Amtrak construction crew accidentally severed a fiber line in New Jersey, which caused the telecom outage. Some seven hours after the circuit blew, he announced that the lines had been repaired and flights were resuming. By the end of the day, more than 1,000 flights were canceled nationwide and over 6,000 were delayed, with Newark and Philadelphia hit hardest.

United Airlines, which has a hub at Newark, said flights bound for the airport were either held at their departure airport or diverted, and issued a travel waiver. If you had an international flight connecting through Newark or JFK that day, this is why.

Then a rare September nor’easter arrived

Four days later, the weather took over. The National Weather Service warned that an early-season nor’easter would bring significant coastal impacts to the Mid-Atlantic and New England through the weekend, with gusts up to 40 mph in Boston and 44 mph in New York City.

By Friday afternoon, nearly 600 flights in and out of LaGuardia were delayed, according to FlightAware data cited by Forbes. American, JetBlue, United, Delta and Southwest all issued travel waivers letting customers rebook without a change fee or fare difference. Over the weekend, CNBC reported more than 300 cancellations at Boston Logan on Sunday, about a quarter of the day’s schedule, after 260 on Saturday.

Weather like this does not stop international flights outright. It slows the arrival rate, and slow arrivals turn into late departures. A flight leaving Boston for London at 9 p.m. can be delayed by a storm that peaked at noon.

Iceland: a strike that lasted one morning

Icelandair’s aircraft mechanics began an indefinite strike at midnight on Wednesday, September 23, after months of failed wage negotiations. The airline canceled its morning departures from Keflavík and Reykjavík, which affected nearly 5,500 passengers. Bloomberg noted that Icelandair carried about 63 percent of travelers passing through Iceland’s main airport last year, so a long strike would have hit transatlantic connections hard.

It did not last. Around midday, the mechanics’ association called off the strike and both sides agreed to four weeks of structured negotiations under Iceland’s State Mediator. Afternoon flights operated on schedule. The underlying dispute is not settled, so travelers connecting through Keflavík in October should keep an eye on it.

Italy: an air traffic control strike on September 30

This one is still ahead. Venice Airport and other Italian airports have posted notices that ENAV, the national air traffic control provider, will hold a four-hour national strike on Wednesday, September 30, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. local time. Flights scheduled during that window may be delayed or canceled. Italian law protects certain time bands and essential flights, and ENAC publishes a list of guaranteed services.

If you have international flights in or out of Rome, Milan, Venice or Florence that afternoon, check your flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport, and allow for knock-on delays later in the day.

The Middle East: airlines are returning to Dubai, slowly

Seven months after the conflict that closed much of the region’s airspace, most Gulf hubs are open and UAE airlines are close to full capacity, according to The National. Foreign carriers are more cautious, and several of them adjusted their timelines this week.

The National’s September 22 update lists where things stand. Lufthansa will restart Munich to Dubai on October 25 and Frankfurt to Dubai on October 26, with Swiss following from Zurich on October 27. British Airways now plans to resume Dubai on November 3 with one daily flight, Tel Aviv on October 25 and Riyadh on November 3, while Abu Dhabi stays suspended until the winter 2027-28 season. KLM, Singapore Airlines and ITA Airways keep Dubai suspended until October 24. Cathay Pacific extended its Dubai and Riyadh suspension to November 30. Finnair extended Dubai and Doha to March 27, 2027. Virgin Atlantic will not fly to Dubai until October 2027.

Two carriers went further this week. AirBaltic confirmed it will suspend Riga to Dubai for the entire 2026-27 winter season, citing the situation in the region and potential restrictions on the routings normally used. Condor is removing its daily Berlin to Dubai and Stuttgart to Dubai flights from its winter schedule, though it cited challenging economic conditions and Germany’s aviation costs rather than the conflict.

On Sunday, September 27, more than 40 flights into the UAE were delayed, many by over two hours, and some were canceled. The National reported that not all of it was tied to the Middle East; hundreds of flights from Russia have been affected by the war with Ukraine in recent weeks, and many of Monday morning’s late arrivals in Dubai came from Russia and Central Asia.

The practical point: an open airport does not mean your airline is flying there. Check the carrier, not just the destination.

Good news for international flights in 2027

It was not all disruption. Delta announced two new European routes for summer 2027: Boston to Venice four times a week from May 7, and Detroit to Athens three times a week from June 8. Boston to Milan goes daily, and JFK service to Catania, Porto, Prague and Copenhagen returns earlier in the year.

Iberia opened a new premium lounge at Madrid-Barajas Terminal 4, just after security, with private rest cabins, showers and a 360-degree bar. And Heathrow’s CEO said more than 40 airlines are seeking slots at the airport, most of them for long-haul routes, which tells you how much demand for international flights is waiting for capacity.

What this week teaches about international flights

A few habits make weeks like this one easier to manage.

Check your flight status before you leave for the airport, not after you arrive. Every disruption above was visible in airline apps hours before departure.

If your airline issues a waiver, use it early. Forbes quoted Flighty’s Katy Nastro recommending that travelers move to an earlier departure when a storm is forecast, since delays pile up in the late afternoon.

Leave more time at connecting hubs. A short connection through Newark, Keflavík or Rome Fiumicino has very little margin when the day goes sideways.

Know your rights. In Europe, an air traffic control strike is generally treated as an extraordinary circumstance, so cash compensation under EU261 does not apply, but airlines still owe you care and rebooking or a refund.

How Royal Airport Concierge fits in

We cannot stop a nor’easter or repair a fiber line. What our greeters can do is be there when you land or depart during a difficult week, help with your luggage, and escort you through the terminal so the parts of the journey inside your control stay calm. At selected airports we also offer Fast Track, where it exists; at all others our service is Meet and Greet with escort through the terminal, and queues may still apply.

If you have international flights coming up and would like someone waiting for you at the gate, you can get an instant quote on our site.