LaGuardia reopens Runway 4/22 after sinkhole

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reopened LaGuardia Airport’s Runway 4/22 on Friday, May 22, after a sinkhole discovered two days earlier forced the closure of one of the airport’s two runways. The hole was found during a daily morning inspection on Wednesday near Runway 4/22, according to the Port Authority. Airlines had warned of delays and cancellations as the shutdown collided with thunderstorms and the start of the Memorial Day travel rush. By Friday, both runways were operating again, but officials and local outlets said travelers should still expect residual disruption. ### When did the problem start, and what exactly was closed? Wednesday, May 20, was the day crews identified the sinkhole near Runway 4/22 during a routine airfield inspection, the Port Authority said. The runway was immediately shut down while emergency construction and engineering crews moved in to assess the cause and begin repairs. LaGuardia has only two runways, so losing Runway 4/22 reduced the airport’s operating capacity at a particularly busy moment. (usnews.com) CNBC reported that the closure came just ahead of the Memorial Day travel period, while the Federal Aviation Administration slowed flights into LaGuardia because of both weather and the runway problem. ### Why did the closure last longer than one day? (cnbc.com) Thursday inspections using ground-penetrating radar identified additional areas of concern in the pavement, Reuters reported. The Port Authority said those areas were repaired, and engineering crews continued further inspections on Friday before the runway returned to service. (cnbc.com) Gothamist reported that the airport reopened the runway after officials completed repairs and resumed normal runway operations. The cause of the sinkhole remains under investigation, according to statements cited by Gothamist and other local outlets. ### How bad were the flight disruptions? Friday morning still showed the aftereffects. (usnews.com) Reuters reported that about 150 flights, or 13% of traffic, were delayed as of Friday morning even after repairs were completed. The same report said LaGuardia had logged hundreds of delays and cancellations since Wednesday. (gothamist.com) Wednesday was worse because the runway closure overlapped with poor weather. CNBC reported that thunderstorms were also expected in the region, and carriers including Southwest and Delta said weather was contributing to disruptions. Delta put a weather waiver in place for New York City-area airports, allowing customers to rebook travel through Sunday. ### What have airport officials told travelers to do now? (usnews.com) Gothamist reported on May 23 that both runways were operational again and that airlines had resumed schedules, but it advised passengers to check airline notifications before heading to the airport. Local television reports carried similar guidance, saying residual delays were still possible after the reopening. (cnbc.com) The FAA’s LaGuardia status page showed the airport operating on Saturday, May 23, with weather information posted for the field. Airport conditions can still change quickly over a holiday weekend, especially when carriers are repositioning aircraft and crews after earlier disruption. That last point is an inference based on typical post-disruption airline recovery patterns, not a statement from the FAA. (gothamist.com) ### What comes next at LaGuardia? The Port Authority said the cause of the sinkhole is still being investigated after repairs were completed and the runway reopened. That means the operational issue is resolved for now, but the infrastructure review is not finished. Memorial Day weekend remains the next immediate test. (faa.gov) Gothamist said airlines had resumed schedules as of May 23, and travelers can monitor airline notifications and the FAA’s airport-status page for the latest operating conditions at LaGuardia. (gothamist.com) (usnews.com)