LaGuardia sinkhole forces runway shutdown

LaGuardia Airport kept one of its two runways closed on Thursday after crews found a sinkhole near Runway 4/22 during a daily airfield inspection the previous morning. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said the hole was identified around 11 a.m. on Wednesday and the runway was shut down immediately while construction and engineering teams began repairs. The closure left LaGuardia operating on a single runway as Memorial Day travel built across the region. Travelers were told to expect delays and cancellations, with thunderstorms adding to the disruption. ### Where was the sinkhole found, and when did the shutdown begin? Runway 4/22 was closed on May 20 after Port Authority crews discovered the sinkhole during a routine morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield. The Port Authority said emergency construction and engineering crews were sent to determine the cause and make repairs. ABC News reported the runway was one of two at the airport, making the closure more disruptive than it would be at larger airports with more operating flexibility. (upi.com) LaGuardia said in a statement on X, cited by UPI and NBC New York, that the agency was in close communication with airlines and airport partners as conditions evolved. UPI reported that all traffic had to use Runway 13/31 while the other runway remained closed. ### How bad were the delays at LaGuardia on Thursday? FOX 5 New York reported that LaGuardia arrival delays for airborne aircraft were averaging 35 minutes and increasing. (nbcnewyork.com) By Thursday afternoon, the FAA’s airport status page listed LaGuardia under a ground delay program for runway maintenance, with an average delay of 1 hour and 2 minutes. FlightAware’s airport status page showed arrival delays averaging just over an hour and departure delays averaging 1 hour and 18 minutes at the time it was crawled. (upi.com) ABC News reported that, by Wednesday mid-afternoon, FlightAware counted 197 cancellations into and out of LaGuardia and 168 delays. The FAA said it was slowing flights into LaGuardia because of “weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22,” according to ABC. ### Why did the disruption spread beyond the runway closure itself? The FAA said weather was also affecting operations, and multiple reports tied the sinkhole disruption to thunderstorms moving through the region. (fox5ny.com) NBC New York said severe weather late Wednesday compounded the runway closure. UPI quoted LaGuardia as warning that forecast thunderstorms later Thursday could worsen delays and cancellations. (abcnews.com) Thursday’s timing also mattered because AAA had forecast a record Memorial Day travel period beginning May 21, according to broader holiday travel coverage from NBC stations cited in the briefing. Bloomberg reported that the runway closure added to delays ahead of the holiday weekend. ### What was happening at Newark at the same time? (abcnews.com) Newark Liberty International Airport was also dealing with disruptions after storms moved through the area. NorthJersey.com reported that flight disruptions were affecting both Newark and LaGuardia on May 21 after severe weather and infrastructure problems hit the region. The upstream briefing cited Travel and Tour World as reporting 284 delays and 22 cancellations at Newark, affecting carriers including Republic Airways, United, Jazz Aviation and American Airlines. (bloomberg.com) NBC News reported more than 1,000 delays within, into or out of the United States on Thursday morning as storms threatened holiday travel, according to the briefing. That broader weather picture helps explain why the LaGuardia closure quickly became part of a larger regional travel problem rather than a stand-alone airport issue. ### What are officials saying travelers should do next? (northjersey.com) The Port Authority said travelers should expect delays and cancellations and should check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status information. QNS and Gothamist, surfaced in search results, reported that repairs were continuing Thursday and that reopening was expected before Friday flights, though timing had shifted during the day. (nbcnewyork.com) Thursday’s next milestone was the reopening of Runway 4/22. Until that happens, LaGuardia remains dependent on its remaining runway, with the FAA and airlines updating airport status pages as conditions change. (faa.gov) (upi.com)