As major New York airports shut down on Saturdy ahead of the looming Hurricane Irene, Gulf carriers cancelled flights to the city\'s John F. Kennedy International Airport. Strong hurricane warnings over the weekend forced US airport authorities to close the three major airports in the New York area — LaGuardia, JFK International and Newark Liberty International — resulting in the cancellation of over 6,000 flights in the US alone. In pictures: Hurricane Irene hits North Carolina Many more flights are expected to be cancelled to cities on the US east coast which are likely to be affected as the hurricane threat intensifies. Article continues below \"Due to the impact of Hurricane Irene, the Airport Authority has suspended flights to and from New York\'s JFK Airport,\" Emirates said in an operational update on its website. The airline listed EK201 and 202 on Saturday, and EK203, EK204, EK201 and EK202 on Sunday as the cancelled flights. Emirates added that it will continue to monitor the situation in New York. Etihad Airways, too, cancelled two of its flights — EY101 and EY100 — on Saturday to and from New York due to Hurricane Irene, as stated by the Abu Dhabi-based carrier on its website. Qatar Airways advisory Qatar Airways, meanwhile, in its US east coast travel advisory on its website, stated: \"Due to the projected path of Hurricane Irene along the US east coast, Qatar Airways is urging all passengers to check the status of their Qatar Airways flight before heading to the airport. \"Customers originating, departing or connecting through Washington, DC, (IAD) or New York (JFK) on Saturday, August 27, Sunday, August 28, or Monday August 29, may experience flight disruptions due to Hurricane Irene.\" Natural disasters have marred the growth of the air travel industry this year, spelling worries for carriers across the world. Airlines are still struggling to come out of the massive losses incurred due to the tsunami and earthquake in Japan earlier in the year, followed by the volcanic ash cloud eruptions in Chile, and the political uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa region.