LaGuardia runway closed after sinkhole

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 morning airfield inspection. The closure left one of LaGuardia’s two runways out of service as Memorial Day travel began building across the New York region. The Federal Aviation Administration said a traffic management program was in effect for arriving traffic at LaGuardia on Thursday, citing runway changes. The FAA’s airport-status page showed average arrival delays of 1 hour and 38 minutes at one point on May 21. ### Where was the sinkhole found? Runway 4/22 was the affected strip, according to the Port Authority and multiple reports citing the agency. The hole was found near that runway during a daily inspection around 11 a.m. local time on May 20, prompting an immediate shutdown while crews assessed the damage and began repairs. LaGuardia is in Queens and operates with two runways, which means taking one out of service can quickly tighten arrival and departure capacity. (msn.com) Port Authority officials said travelers should expect delays and check directly with their airlines. ### Why did one runway create wider delays? The FAA said on its LaGuardia status page that a traffic management program was in effect because of “RWY-TAXI / RWY CHNG,” shorthand for runway or taxiway changes. (aerotime.aero) The agency said arriving flights were being delayed an average of 1 hour and 38 minutes, while departure traffic was seeing shorter gate-hold and taxi delays. The FAA’s broader National Airspace System pages also showed active delay-management tools in the New York system on May 21, after thunderstorms had already disrupted Newark-area flying the night before. That meant LaGuardia’s runway problem landed in an already strained regional network. ### Were flights actually canceled or diverted? May 21 flight-status pages for LaGuardia showed delays and cancellations across the day, though the airport and FAA both said travelers should rely on airline-specific information for their exact flights. (fly.faa.gov) Local and aviation outlets reported cancellations across several carriers after the runway closure, and some New York-area disruptions spilled into diversions elsewhere in the region. (nasstatus.faa.gov) AeroTime, citing the Port Authority, reported the sinkhole discovery forced the runway closure and triggered delays and cancellations as crews worked on repairs. CNBC also reported that local officials warned travelers to expect delays and possible cancellations after the shutdown. ### What has the Port Authority said publicly? The Port Authority said the sinkhole was discovered during a routine morning inspection and that Runway 4/22 would remain closed until repairs were complete and the area was safe for operations, according to reports carrying the agency’s statement. (laguardiaairport.com) The agency’s public alerts page was live on May 21, though the most visible LaGuardia advisories on the airport site were weather-related notices directing passengers to check with airlines. (aerotime.aero) Port Authority planning documents show Runway 4/22 has been the subject of recent structural and rehabilitation work, including runway-deck expansion joints and deck structural elements. Those documents do not describe this week’s sinkhole, but they show the runway has been part of ongoing maintenance and capital work. ### What should travelers watch next? (panynj.gov) May 21 is the key date for passengers checking conditions because both the FAA and LaGuardia flight-status pages were still showing delays after the May 20 shutdown. The next concrete updates are likely to come from the Port Authority, the FAA’s LaGuardia airport-status page, and airline-specific flight-status feeds as repair work continues. (fly.faa.gov) (panynj.gov)