Newark reports 22 cancellations, 284 delays

Newark Liberty International Airport reported flight disruptions on Wednesday, May 20, as thunderstorms moved through the New York-New Jersey region. The airport posted an alert at 4:32 p.m. saying flights at Newark were being disrupted by storms in the area and told passengers to check with their airlines for the latest status. The Federal Aviation Administration separately said a traffic management program was in effect for flights arriving at Newark because of weather and thunderstorms. Travel And Tour World reported 22 cancellations and 284 delays at the airport on Wednesday. ### What did Newark itself say as delays built? Newark Liberty International Airport said at 4:32 p.m. on May 20 that there were “flight disruptions and delays” at EWR because of thunderstorms in the area. The advisory appeared on the airport’s website and directed passengers to confirm flight status with their airlines. The Port Authority-run airport site was still carrying the storm alert later in the evening, alongside routine terminal and security information. Newark did not list a breakdown of cancellations and delays on the advisory page itself. ### How severe were the FAA delays? The Federal Aviation Administration said Newark was under a Traffic Management Program because of “WEATHER / THUNDERSTORMS.” The FAA status page said arriving flights were being delayed by an average of 2 hours and 39 minutes. (newarkairport.com) The FAA also said departure traffic destined for Newark was not being allowed to leave until at or after 10:30 p.m. EDT at one point on Wednesday night. (newarkairport.com) It said gate hold and taxi delays were running between 1 hour and 1 minute and 1 hour and 15 minutes and increasing. ### What routes and airlines were caught up in the disruption? Travel And Tour World said 22 flights were canceled and 284 were delayed at Newark on Wednesday. (fly.faa.gov) The report said affected routes included St. Louis, Toronto, Kansas City, Grand Rapids and Portland, and named carriers including Republic Airways, United, Jazz Aviation and American Airlines. The airport’s own public advisory did not identify routes or airlines, and the FAA status page described the problem in systemwide terms rather than by carrier. (fly.faa.gov) That left passengers dependent on airline-specific updates for individual flights. ### Was weather the main cause? The FAA attributed the Newark delays to weather and thunderstorms. Newark airport used the same explanation in its public advisory. (newarkairport.com) The National Weather Service office serving New York said its map was carrying watches, warnings and advisories on Wednesday night, while NJ.com reported severe thunderstorm warnings and flood warnings as storms swept across New Jersey. Travel And Tour World said heavy downpours had triggered flash flood alerts as the disruption spread through Newark’s schedule. (newarkairport.com) ### What should travelers do next? Thursday, May 21 is the next key checkpoint for passengers whose itineraries were disrupted overnight. Newark’s airport site says travelers can check real-time arrivals and departures there, while the FAA status page continues to post broad airport conditions rather than flight-specific updates. Airlines remain the primary source for rebooking, gate changes and overnight recovery plans. Newark’s advisory told passengers to check with their airline for the latest status, and the FAA said its airport-condition page is not flight-specific. (nj.com) (newarkairport.com 1) (newarkairport.com 2)