Flights were disrupted at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after a sinkhole was detected near a runway. Numerous flights experienced delays and cancellations.
Runway operations at LaGuardia Airport were suspended after a sinkhole was discovered during a routine morning inspection. Following the damage detected near the runway, numerous flights were delayed or canceled, while emergency safety and engineering operations were launched at the airport.
According to officials, the incident was noticed around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday during daily airfield inspections. The sinkhole was detected near Runway 4/22 at the airport.
Emergency Response Teams Dispatched to the Area
In a statement shared on LaGuardia Airport’s official X account, officials announced that the runway was immediately closed as part of safety procedures.
The statement noted that emergency construction and engineering teams were dispatched to the area to determine the cause of the incident and complete the necessary repairs as quickly as possible.
Officials emphasized that technical inspections around the runway are ongoing and that operational safety remains the top priority.
Heavy Flight Delays and Cancellations Reported
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated that it is working in coordination with airlines and providing regular updates to passengers.
Travelers were urged to check their flight status directly with their airlines due to the increasing number of delays and cancellations.
According to FlightAware data, as of Wednesday afternoon, departing flights from LaGuardia were experiencing average delays of 30 minutes, while arriving flights faced delays of approximately 38 minutes.
Storm Warning Increased Operational Pressure
Officials also issued a thunderstorm warning for the New York area. Authorities stated that operational pressure at the airport could increase further due to the possibility of worsening weather conditions.
Infrastructure Safety at U.S. Airports Back in Focus
The incident at LaGuardia Airport has once again brought discussions about airport infrastructure and runway safety in the United States into the spotlight. Experts emphasize that regular runway inspections are critically important, especially at major airports with heavy traffic capacity.
Aviation safety specialists note that even small-scale surface damage can pose serious operational risks on runways handling high traffic volumes.
