Newark Liberty, LaGuardia delays May 21

Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport were reporting delays and cancellations on Thursday, May 21, as weather and airport operating constraints rippled through the New York region. NorthJersey.com reported the disruptions a day after severe weather and infrastructure problems snarled travel ahead of Memorial Day weekend. The Federal Aviation Administration said in its daily air traffic report that low clouds in New York could slow traffic at Newark, John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. Delta Air Lines also issued a New York City weather advisory on Thursday morning covering Newark and LaGuardia. ### Why were Newark and LaGuardia running behind on May 21? The FAA said on Thursday that low clouds in New York were a factor for flights at EWR, JFK and LGA. On the agency’s airport status pages, both Newark and LaGuardia were showing general departure delays of 15 minutes or less, with LaGuardia also showing arrival delays of 15 minutes or less. NorthJersey.com reported that the delays followed severe weather and broader operating strain in the region. Its Thursday update said Newark and LaGuardia were dealing with cancellations and delays tied to weather and ongoing system issues. UPI reported that a sinkhole discovered during a routine runway inspection at LaGuardia on Wednesday was contributing to delays and cancellations on Thursday. (faa.gov) That followed earlier reporting cited in the local coverage that linked current disruptions to carryover effects from infrastructure problems in the regional airport system. ### What was happening at Newark specifically? Newark Liberty was showing gate-hold and taxi delays of 15 minutes or less on the FAA’s real-time status page on Thursday. (northjersey.com) The FAA page said no destination-specific delays were being reported at the time of the snapshot, but it cautioned that the information was general and not flight-specific. NorthJersey.com said Newark remained the bigger concern in the New York area because of a mix of weather and ongoing operational pressure. (upi.com) Its report cited thunderstorms, constrained runway capacity and air-traffic control staffing pressure among the issues affecting traffic. United Airlines’ public operations page said “limited delays” were in effect under a ground delay program or planned delays, with no cancellations planned, in a status page captured this week. (fly.faa.gov) A separate United travel page said the FAA had directed airlines to reduce schedules across 40 U.S. airports, and told customers to check flight status or the United app to see whether their trips were affected. ### Was LaGuardia facing a different problem? (northjersey.com) LaGuardia was showing general departure delays and arrival delays of 15 minutes or less on the FAA status page Thursday. Like Newark, the FAA said those notices were airport-wide conditions and not specific to individual flights. UPI said a sinkhole on a runway at LaGuardia had been found during a routine inspection on Wednesday. The report said the discovery was causing delays and cancellations on Thursday. (jetstream.united.com) Delta’s current advisories page said at 8:54 a.m. ET on May 21 that forecast severe weather could affect travel to, from or through EWR, HPN, JFK and LGA. That advisory did not quantify cancellations, but it warned customers in the New York market to expect possible disruption. (fly.faa.gov) ### Which airlines were exposed to the disruptions? NorthJersey.com said United, Delta and American were among the carriers facing widespread delays in the New York area on Thursday. (upi.com) The report framed the disruption as a cross-carrier problem rather than an issue limited to a single airline. Delta told customers affected by a delayed or canceled flight that they may have options to rebook, request reimbursement or, in some cases, cancel and seek a refund if a significant delay threshold is met. (delta.com) United told customers to use its flight-status tools and app for current information on individual trips. ### Where should travelers look next? The FAA said its airport status pages for Newark and LaGuardia provide general conditions, while flight-specific impacts should be confirmed with airlines. (northjersey.com) The agency’s daily air traffic report for Thursday, May 21, also flagged New York weather as a factor for the day’s operations. Delta’s New York City weather advisory remained posted on May 21, and United’s travel-alert and flight-status pages were active for customers checking changes. (delta.com) For travelers moving through Newark or LaGuardia later on Thursday, those airline pages and the FAA airport status sites were the named sources still updating conditions. (delta.com) (fly.faa.gov)