Singapore airlines already flies SIN-MAN-IAH so would it be out of the question for them or EK/EY/QR to fly onward to JFK or even to MCO as the charter fleets are now decimated from MAN and more so if VS go belly up.
AFAIK some of the ME3 airlines already have rights for UK -USA, at least at UK regional airports. Certainly one has looked at it in the past but decided not to take the rights up. With the landscape now changing maybe there are some opportunities...