By Shin Hyon-hee
Hurricane Irene triggered cancellations of thousands of flights over the weekend as the storm raced up the United States’ northeastern shore.
Korean Air, Korea’s top airline, pre-canceled its routes to and from New York on Saturday and Sunday, and delayed Washington-bound services by three hours.
Asiana Airlines also halted flights to New York on Sunday.
Nearly two dozen airports in eastern U.S. cities ― including Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York ― closed starting Saturday morning.
Delta Airlines, the world’s largest carrier, also canceled more than 1,300 domestic itineraries heading east.
United Airlines and Continental Airlines also suspended about 2,300 domestic and international flights over the last weekend departing from 13 airports in New England including their New York City hubs.
The U.S.-based airlines said they plan to resume operations at the airports on Monday.
Severe weather conditions also had impact on some businesses.
Samsung Electronics, Korea’s leading electronics maker, reportedly delayed the launch of its flagship smartphone Galaxy S2, which was initially set for Monday in New York, until weather conditions improve.
Irene was the first hurricane to make landfall in the continental U.S. since 2008, and came six years after Hurricane Katrina devastated a southern state of New Orleans in 2005.
(heeshin@heraldcorp.com)