Newark Liberty reports 284 delays, 22 cancellations

Newark Liberty International Airport reported 284 delays and 22 cancellations on Wednesday evening, according to Travel And Tour World. The disruptions hit as thunderstorms moved across the New York-New Jersey region and slowed traffic at one of the country’s busiest hubs. The Federal Aviation Administration separately listed a ground delay program for Newark on May 20, citing thunderstorms. Newark Airport’s website also warned of flight disruptions and told passengers to check with their airlines for the latest status. ### How bad were the disruptions at Newark? Travel And Tour World said 284 flights were delayed and 22 were canceled at Newark Liberty on May 20 evening. The outlet said affected service included routes tied to St. Louis, Toronto, Kansas City, Grand Rapids and Portland, among other cities. Newark Liberty’s own website posted an alert at 4:32 p.m. on May 20 saying there were “flight disruptions and delays” at EWR because of thunderstorms in the area. (faa.gov) The airport did not publish a broader narrative update on the public page, but directed travelers to airline status channels. ### What did the FAA say was happening? The FAA’s airport-status page for EWR showed a ground delay program on May 20 with an average delay of 2 hours and 39 minutes. (news.google.com) The agency said the cause was thunderstorms, and listed “Thunderstorm Heavy Rain and Windy” in the weather field. The FAA page showed the program ending at 8:30 p.m. EDT and noted a departure delay range starting at 1 hour and 1 minute. (newarkairport.com) The FAA page also listed traffic-management initiatives tied to weather. That indicated the disruption was not limited to one carrier or one terminal, but was being managed at the airport-operations level. That is an inference from the FAA’s airport-wide status listing. ### What weather moved through New Jersey that evening? New Jersey weather coverage on May 20 said severe thunderstorms were moving into the state with heavy downpours, lightning and the risk of damaging winds. (faa.gov) NJ.com reported that some storm cells could produce heavy rain, small hail and frequent lightning. A separate NJ.com report said a severe thunderstorm watch had been issued for all 21 New Jersey counties, with forecasters warning of scattered storms, large hail and wind gusts up to 60 to 70 mph. Weather Underground’s alert page for Newark also showed a severe thunderstorm watch in effect on the evening of May 20. (nj.com) ### Which flights and airlines were caught up in it? Travel And Tour World said the disrupted flights involved carriers including Republic Airways, United, Jazz Aviation and American Airlines. The report linked the delays and cancellations to a mix of domestic and cross-border routes moving through Newark. Flight-tracking and airport-status pages available on May 21 showed Newark departures operating again, though flight-by-flight conditions continued to vary by airline and destination. (nj.com) Newark’s public flight-information page and departures page both direct passengers to real-time status listings rather than a static disruption bulletin. ### Where should travelers look next? Newark Airport said passengers should check with their airline for the latest status of their flight. (news.google.com) The airport’s flight-information pages for arrivals and departures remained live on May 21, and the FAA’s EWR status page continued to provide airport-level delay information. May 21 is the next practical checkpoint for travelers booked through Newark, because airline rebookings, aircraft rotations and crew assignments can continue to affect schedules after a weather ground delay ends. (newarkairport.com) Travelers can track the next update through Newark Liberty’s flight-status pages and their airline’s own alerts. (newarkairport.com)