United flights stuck Newark tarmac

United Airlines passengers on several Newark Liberty International Airport flights said they were kept on planes for hours on Wednesday, May 21, as thunderstorms and wider disruptions snarled operations. NBC New York reported that some flights later were canceled after extended waits on the tarmac. NJ.com reported that travelers also faced baggage problems and rebooking lines as storms moved through the region. By Friday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport status page showed Newark operating with gate-hold and airborne delays of 15 minutes or less. ### Which flights were caught in the longest delays? NBC New York reported on May 21 that passengers on multiple United flights said they were stranded aboard aircraft for hours at Newark during Wednesday night’s storms. The station said some travelers described waits approaching seven hours before their flights were canceled. NJ.com reported on May 22 that the disruption stretched beyond a single flight and left passengers dealing with long onboard waits, missed departures and trouble retrieving checked bags. (nbcnewyork.com) The report attributed the airport problems to severe thunderstorms that hit the area on Wednesday. ### What caused the Newark pileup? Severe thunderstorms were the immediate trigger cited in local coverage. (nbcnewyork.com) NJ.com said storms caused hours-long delays for Newark passengers on Wednesday, while NBC New York tied the longest tarmac waits to Wednesday night’s storm system. Newark has also been operating under FAA limits put in place after earlier congestion problems. (nj.com) The FAA said in a June 6, 2025 order that reduced rates were intended to ease excessive delays tied to staffing and equipment challenges, and the agency later extended limits on arrivals and departures through Oct. 24, 2026. ### Were the delays still active heading into Memorial Day weekend? (nj.com) The FAA’s Newark status page, last updated May 22 at 6:23 p.m. UTC, said there were no destination-specific delays and listed general departure gate holds and taxi delays of 15 minutes or less, with arrival delays also 15 minutes or less. That indicated the worst of Wednesday’s disruption had eased by Friday. The FAA’s National Airspace System dashboard on Saturday, May 23, showed no active Newark-specific event in its summary, though it listed possible weather-related traffic management steps later in the day for several East Coast facilities. (faa.gov) That dashboard is systemwide and not flight-specific. ### What were passengers dealing with on the ground? NBC New York said passengers remained onboard during the extended delays, and some flights were eventually canceled rather than departing after the wait. (fly.faa.gov) NJ.com said travelers then faced the next round of disruption inside the terminal, including baggage issues and rebooking problems. (nasstatus.faa.gov) United’s public travel-alert page on Saturday did not show a Newark-specific waiver tied to this week’s disruption. The carrier’s page says travelers should check there for the most up-to-date options if their trip is affected. ### Where should travelers look next? United directs customers to its travel-alerts page for rebooking and flight options if a trip is affected. The FAA says its Newark airport status page provides general airport conditions and that passengers should check with their airline for flight-specific information. (nbcnewyork.com) Saturday, May 23, is the next immediate checkpoint for travelers heading through Newark before the Memorial Day rush peaks. (united.com) United’s alerts page and the FAA’s Newark status page were the two live sources still updating conditions as of publication.