People Think There's 'More To' Major Flight Cancellations In The Northeast Than Weather — 'Sounds Like War Talk'
The theory has been debunked by those in the airline industry.
@car_deem / TikTok The recent sudden surge in flight cancellations in the Northeast sparked speculation among travelers, inspiring numerous theories regarding their root causes. Among them, Kadeem Clarke, a TikTok user, sparked an intriguing debate. He believed that the abrupt cancellations were symptomatic of more than just weather disturbances.
Major flight cancellations in the Northeast United States have led to conspiracy theories.
"Don't you guys think it's fishy that all the flights in the northeast of the US are being canceled right now?" Kadeem asked in his TikTok video.
Many travelers have found themselves stranded in airports this summer, their plans disrupted as they couldn't secure flights. Clarke, a resident of New York, had observed the situation firsthand. The unexpected wave of cancellations thwarted his friends' plans to visit the city.
"I've had friends coming to New York and their flights are all canceled since Sunday," he wrote. Amid this chaos, Kadeem questioned the mainstream narrative, suggesting that this unprecedented phenomenon seemed suspiciously unrelated to the weather.
"It's not that dire, I've witnessed flights departing in worse conditions," he reasoned.
His theory took an intriguing turn as he tied these events with international occurrences.
He recalled a TikTok video he had come across, which discussed a private jet from Russia taking an unusual route to the US.
"I was on TikTok and I saw this video about a private jet from Russia coming to the US. Took a very odd route," he said. The aircraft's strange trajectory that specifically avoided crossing any countries seemed peculiar to Kadeem. He clarified that the jet was set to pick up Russian diplomats in DC. According to the Moscow Times, this isn't just a theory; it did indeed happen.
Though, his observations didn't end there.
"So my theory here is that the US has intel of a potential terrorist attack or some kind of attack in the Northeast, and they have grounded all flights," he said. Clarke decreed this situation seems like "war talk," but was quick to clarify that he didn't intend to instigate panic but merely shared his thoughts on the situation.
Photo: TikTok / @car_deem
Several TikTok users echoed Clarke's suspicions.
One individual expressed their puzzlement at the inexplicable cancellation of their flight. "My flight was canceled for no reason too and every time I called the airline they had a different answer as to why," one person wrote.
Yet, others offered more benign explanations. One person suggested the cancellations were a result of adverse weather conditions. "I think there was a lightning storm these past few days which I witnessed myself so tons of flights were canceled," they commented.
However, many are still wondering if Clarke's hunch holds any weight or if the theory is too farfetched.
A look into the airline industry largely debunks Clarke's theory.
For those who think it's some sort of Russian conspiracy, you no longer need to hold that belief. Even though it's true that planes were sent to pick up Russian diplomats, despite airline shutdowns, it appears that the shutdowns really are from the weather.
According to Travel + Leisure, severe flooding from weather has impacted both flights and Amtrak. Not all of the flights were canceled; many of them were just delayed. During the summer months, flights in and out of the Southeastern states such as Florida and Georgia often experience disruption as well as daily summer storms pass through the region. Even when weather is OK in your area, rolling delays and cancellations can lead to staffing issues at the airlines that can further exacerbate the problem.
In addition, in March 2023 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asked airlines to cut back on summer flying schedules to account for a shortage of air traffic controllers.
So while Clarke was right in his statement that Russian diplomats were flown out of the same area experiencing flight cancellations, don't panic — it's not necessarily war talk, just summer flying.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.