LaGuardia sinkhole shuts runway Wednesday

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shut one of LaGuardia Airport’s two runways on Wednesday after crews found a sinkhole during a morning inspection, triggering delays and cancellations at the Queens airport ahead of the Memorial Day travel rush. The agency said the sinkhole was discovered near Runway 4/22 at about 11 a.m. on May 20, and emergency construction and engineering crews were sent to the site for repairs. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was slowing flights into LaGuardia because of weather and the runway problem. Airlines and airport officials warned travelers to expect further disruption through the day. ### Where was the sinkhole, and how was it found? Port Authority crews found the sinkhole near Runway 4/22 during a daily morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield, according to statements carried by Reuters, ABC News and other outlets. The runway was shut down immediately after the discovery, leaving the airport operating with one runway while repairs began. (usnews.com) Runway 4/22 is one of two runways at LaGuardia, and its closure reduced the airport’s operating capacity on a day when thunderstorms were also in the forecast for the New York region. CNBC reported that the Port Authority told travelers to expect delays and cancellations, particularly with storms expected later Wednesday. ### How large were the delays? The FAA’s LaGuardia status page showed a traffic management program in effect because of a runway-taxiway or runway change, with arriving flights delayed by an average of 1 hour and 38 minutes at one point Wednesday. (usnews.com) The same page also showed weather-related programs later in the day, with average arrival delays stretching to 2 hours and 44 minutes as thunderstorms affected the region. (cnbc.com) ABC News reported that an FAA notice said the runway was expected to remain closed until 6 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, though that timing was subject to change and weather could slow the work. NBC New York reported a later estimate that repairs could keep the runway closed until 10 a.m. Thursday. ### Did this affect only LaGuardia? (fly.faa.gov) New York-area air traffic was already under pressure on Wednesday because of thunderstorms, and LaGuardia’s reduced runway capacity added another constraint. The FAA said flights into LaGuardia were being slowed “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22,” according to ABC News. Newark Liberty International Airport was also seeing heavy delays Wednesday, according to separate reporting and FAA airport-status pages. (abcnews.com) The overlap matters because the three major New York-area airports share congested regional airspace, though the FAA statements cited in available reports tied LaGuardia’s immediate restrictions specifically to the sinkhole and weather at LGA. ### What did officials tell travelers to do? The Port Authority said passengers should check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information. Local and national reports repeated the agency’s warning that delays and cancellations were likely as crews worked on the runway and storms moved through the area. The FAA’s airport-status tools also cautioned that the posted information reflects general airport conditions and is not flight-specific. (fly.faa.gov) That left airline status pages, in addition to FAA advisories, as the main sources for passengers trying to determine whether individual departures or arrivals were affected. ### What happens next on Thursday? Thursday’s next milestone was the reopening of Runway 4/22, which depended on Port Authority repair work and FAA operational updates. (abcnews.com) ABC News cited an FAA notice that projected a 6 a.m. reopening target, while NBC New York reported the runway could remain closed until 10 a.m. Thursday. Travelers were being directed to FAA airport-status pages and airline flight trackers for the latest operating conditions at LaGuardia. (fly.faa.gov)