Sinkhole shuts LaGuardia runway

A sinkhole found near LaGuardia Airport’s Runway 4/22 on Wednesday, May 20, forced the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to shut one of the airport’s two runways and keep it closed into Thursday. The closure reduced flight capacity at one of the country’s busiest airports just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, with delays and cancellations building as storms moved through the region. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was slowing flights into LaGuardia because of weather and the sinkhole on Runway 4/22. Port Authority officials said the runway was expected to reopen before flight operations on Friday, pending repairs and inspections. ### Where exactly was the problem found? The Port Authority said crews identified the sinkhole around 11 a.m. on Wednesday during a daily morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield. The hole was found near Runway 4/22, and the agency said the runway was immediately shut down while emergency construction and engineering crews moved in. Runway 4/22 is one of LaGuardia’s two runways. (abcnews.com) A lighted “X” was placed to show the strip was out of service, according to local coverage and images from the airport. ### Why did a single runway closure cause so much disruption? LaGuardia was operating on only one runway on Thursday, and low visibility added to the backups, Spectrum News NY1 reported. (abcnews.com) The FAA said it was slowing arrivals into the airport because of both weather and the sinkhole, compounding delays already affecting New York-area airports. Flight disruptions mounted quickly. (abcnews.com) Gothamist reported that the closure contributed to nearly 290 cancellations and more than 310 delays at LaGuardia on Wednesday, citing FlightAware data, while another 40 flights were canceled and almost 50 delayed by late Thursday morning. NY1 reported that roughly 40% of flights were delayed as of Thursday evening. ### What were crews doing before reopening the runway? Port Authority crews spent Thursday testing the ground beneath the runway with radar and core samples to check for additional weak spots before allowing flights to resume, NY1 reported. Officials had initially expected the runway to reopen around noon Thursday, but pushed that target back after the added inspection work. (gothamist.com) Kathryn Garcia, the Port Authority’s executive director, said Thursday that “we anticipate that it will take us most of the rest of the day,” and told airlines to expect “full reopening in the morning.” ABC News separately reported that the agency said the runway could reopen sooner, or later, depending on the results of repairs and inspections. (ny1.com) ### What were airlines and officials telling travelers? The Port Authority said LaGuardia remained open to flight operations, but warned that delays were expected and told travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport. The agency also said cancellations were possible, especially with thunderstorms in the forecast. Delta Air Lines said it had issued a weather waiver for flights in and out of New York City-area airports, allowing customers to rebook through Sunday, CNBC reported. (ny1.com) Southwest Airlines said about 20 of its arrivals were expected to be delayed on Wednesday, though the carrier said weather was also a factor. ### What should travelers watch next? Friday flight operations are the next key milestone. (abcnews.com) The Port Authority said Runway 4/22 was expected to reopen before Friday operations, but officials tied that timing to the outcome of repairs and inspections still underway on Thursday. Travelers were directed to check airline flight-status pages and FAA delay information before leaving for the airport. (cnbc.com)