Airlines cancel hundreds of flights after LaGuardia sinkhole closes runway

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shut LaGuardia Airport’s Runway 4/22 on Wednesday, May 20, after crews found a sinkhole during a daily airfield inspection, setting off delays and cancellations at one of the country’s busiest airports. (cnbc.com) The closure removed one of LaGuardia’s two runways just as thunderstorms moved into the region and the Memorial Day travel rush was building. Port Authority officials told travelers to expect delays and cancellations while emergency crews investigated the cause and made repairs. (abcnews.com) The runway reopened on Friday, May 22, after inspections and repairs, but airport officials said residual delays were still possible. (delta.com) ### When did the runway closure start, and how long did it last? Port Authority crews found the sinkhole around 11 a.m. on May 20 near Runway 4/22 and immediately closed the runway, according to statements cited by CNBC, NBC New York and ABC News. The agency said emergency construction and engineering crews were sent in to determine the cause and complete repairs. ABC News reported on May 22 that the runway had reopened after what the airport described as “thorough inspections” and pavement work. The airport said ground-penetrating radar identified other areas of concern that were proactively repaired before the runway returned to service. (cnbc.com) The cause of the sinkhole remained under investigation. ### How much of LaGuardia’s operation was affected? Runway 4/22 is one of LaGuardia’s two runways, so the shutdown reduced capacity even though the airport stayed open to flight operations, the airport said. CNBC reported on May 20 that the Port Authority warned of delays and cancellations, with thunderstorms expected to worsen conditions across the New York region. (cnbc.com) Flight disruptions mounted through May 21. NBC New York reported delays and cancellations continuing into Thursday, while other local reports citing FlightAware said arrival delays for airborne aircraft were averaging about 35 minutes and increasing on May 20. (abcnews.com) ### Did airlines shift traffic to JFK and Newark? Delta published a New York City weather advisory on May 21 covering Newark, White Plains, JFK and LaGuardia, and CNBC reported the carrier had a waiver in place for flights in and out of New York City-area airports, allowing customers to rebook by Sunday. That points to airlines using the broader New York airport system to manage disruption, though airline-specific rerouting details were not fully disclosed in public statements reviewed. (cnbc.com) United’s public waiver page separately showed an active East Coast thunderstorms waiver dated May 20 that included Newark and LaGuardia among the affected airports. (nbcnewyork.com) American and JetBlue maintained travel-alert pages, but the available public search results reviewed did not show sinkhole-specific notices naming alternate airports. ### Why did the disruption hit so hard before the holiday? May 20 and May 21 fell just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, one of the heaviest U.S. travel periods of the year. CNBC said the runway closure came before the busy holiday period, and ABC News said TSA expected to screen 18.3 million people at U.S. airports through Wednesday, adding to pressure on already-constrained operations. (cnbc.com) Weather compounded the runway problem. The FAA had already been slowing flights in the New York and Washington regions because of storms, CNBC reported, and NBC New York said severe weather late on May 20 added to the disruption caused by the sinkhole. (jetstream.united.com) ### What should travelers watch now? LaGuardia said on May 22 that Runway 4/22 had reopened and urged passengers to check flight status with their airlines because residual delays were still possible. Delta’s advisory covering EWR, HPN, JFK and LGA remained a sign that the wider New York airport network was under strain as of May 21. Travelers looking for the next operational update should watch airline alert pages and airport statements issued after Friday’s reopening. (cnbc.com) (abcnews.com)