LaGuardia closes runway 4/22 after sinkhole

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shut LaGuardia Airport’s Runway 4/22 on Wednesday after crews found a sinkhole during a daily inspection of the airfield around 11 a.m. The closure took one of the airport’s two runways out of service just before the Memorial Day travel rush, and the Federal Aviation Administration said it was slowing flights into LaGuardia because of both weather and the runway problem. The FAA said the runway was expected to remain closed until at least 6 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, though that timing could change. Thunderstorms in the New York region added another source of disruption on May 20. ### Where was the sinkhole, and how was it found? Port Authority crews found the sinkhole near Runway 4/22 while conducting the airport’s routine morning airfield inspection, according to the agency. The runway was “immediately” shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews were sent to the site to assess the damage and begin repairs. (abcnews.com) Runway 4/22 is one of two runways at LaGuardia. With that strip closed, flights had to be managed on the airport’s remaining runway, reducing operating flexibility at one of the country’s busiest airports. ### Why did the FAA slow flights if the airport was still open? The FAA said it was slowing flights into LaGuardia “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22.” That meant the airport was not fully closed, but arrival traffic was being metered because runway capacity was reduced and thunderstorms were moving through the region. (abcnews.com) The FAA’s daily air traffic report for Wednesday separately warned that thunderstorms could delay flights across a broad stretch of the United States, including the Northeast. (abcnews.com) By early Thursday, the FAA’s airport-status page for LaGuardia was still showing weather-related traffic management measures and average delays for some flights. ### How big were the disruptions at LaGuardia? FlightAware figures cited by ABC News showed 197 cancellations into and out of LaGuardia and 168 delays by Wednesday mid-afternoon. (abcnews.com) Local reports later said delays and cancellations continued into Thursday morning as repairs continued and airlines worked through backed-up schedules. The Port Authority told travelers to expect delays and cancellations and urged them to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight-status information. (faa.gov) That warning reflected both the runway closure and forecast thunderstorms later in the day. ### Was this only a LaGuardia problem, or a wider New York airspace issue? LaGuardia was the immediate pressure point, but New York-area air traffic is tightly linked across major airports. (abcnews.com) When one runway is removed at LaGuardia during bad weather, arrival rates can be cut and delays can spread through airline schedules that also touch Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy International. That connection is an inference from how FAA traffic management works and from the FAA’s reference to broader weather-related delays, not a separate formal declaration that all three airports were impaired for the same reason. Reuters reported the sinkhole closure prompted cancellations, delays and emergency repairs at LaGuardia on May 20. Bloomberg and local New York outlets also reported that the disruption came as holiday travel demand was building. ### What happens next for travelers? The FAA notice cited by ABC News said Runway 4/22 was expected to stay closed until at least 6 a.m. (faa.gov) Eastern on Thursday, May 21, subject to change. The next checkpoints for travelers are the FAA’s LaGuardia airport-status page, airline alerts, and Port Authority updates as repair crews finish work and the airport returns to normal runway use. (abcnews.com) (usnews.com)