Newark Liberty delays after thunderstorms

Severe thunderstorms at Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday, May 21, snarled travel for hours as passengers reported long waits on parked planes, missed connections, baggage problems and rebooking lines. The disruption hit as Memorial Day holiday travel began, with AAA projecting 45 million Americans would travel 50 miles or more from May 21 through May 25. By Friday, May 22, the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport status page showed Newark departure delays had eased to 15 minutes or less, though the prior day’s weather problems had already rippled through schedules. ### How did thunderstorms at Newark turn into an all-day travel problem? NJ.com reported that storms left some Newark passengers stranded on aircraft for hours on Thursday and then sent them into cascading baggage and rebooking problems once they got off. The report described travelers waiting onboard after weather disrupted operations and then facing packed customer-service lines as airlines tried to recover. (nj.com) The FAA’s advisories database showed New York airspace restrictions tied to thunderstorms on May 21. One advisory said controllers in the New York center area had closed routes because of thunderstorms and told users to file alternate routing, a sign that the weather disruption extended beyond a single terminal or gate area. ### What was happening at LaGuardia at the same time? LaGuardia Airport was dealing with a separate operational problem on Thursday after a sinkhole was discovered near Runway 4/22 during an inspection on Wednesday, May 20. (nj.com) UPI reported the runway remained closed Thursday morning, leaving LaGuardia operating with one runway while repairs continued. FAA status information on Friday said LaGuardia still had a traffic management program in effect because of runway-taxiway maintenance. (fly.faa.gov) The agency said arriving flights were being delayed an average of 1 hour and 47 minutes, even as general departure delays were listed at 15 minutes or less. ### How bad were the delays and cancellations around New York airports? NorthJersey.com reported that Newark and LaGuardia were both seeing delays and cancellations on Thursday as the weather problems at Newark collided with the runway closure at LaGuardia. (upi.com) The outlet said the twin disruptions added pressure during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. (fly.faa.gov) NY1 reported that travelers at LaGuardia were already being told of overnight delays and cancellations because of the sinkhole-related runway closure. One passenger, Nion Sedilko, told the station, “Frontier just canceled my flight, and I’m going to be stuck here until Friday, I think.” ### Why was the timing especially difficult for travelers? (northjersey.com) AAA said 45 million Americans were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home over the Memorial Day period from May 21 to May 25. That forecast made even localized airport disruptions more consequential because airlines were already moving heavy holiday traffic through the New York region. (ny1.com) Newark had already been under scrutiny this spring over operational strain, and Thursday’s thunderstorms added another layer of disruption for travelers trying to leave before the holiday weekend. NJ.com’s account focused on the immediate passenger impact: time spent onboard, lost bags and difficulty securing new itineraries. ### What should travelers watch next? (northjersey.com) Friday, May 22, FAA airport status pages showed Newark with only minor departure delays, while LaGuardia continued to post arrival delays tied to runway-related restrictions. Travelers can track the next operational change on FAA airport status pages for EWR and LGA and through airline-specific rebooking and baggage updates. (fly.faa.gov) (nj.com)