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I was wondering why we were circling for so long before landing earlier today and now it makes sense. Flights at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) faced delays today after a sinkhole was discovered on one of the airport’s runways during a routine morning inspection.
According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the sinkhole was found near Runway 4/22 around 11:00 AM. It prompted officials to immediately shut down the runway while emergency construction and engineering crews began repairs and investigated the cause.
The runway closure quickly disrupted operations across the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that departing flights were delayed by more than 90 minutes on average with some delays stretching to nearly three hours. I consider myself extremely lucky that my connecting flight was not delayed.
In a statement posted to social media, the Port Authority warned travelers to expect continued delays and cancellations throughout the day, particularly as forecasted thunderstorms threatened to worsen operational challenges.
Officials said the sinkhole was identified during a standard daily airfield inspection and crews immediately descended on the site to safely repair the damage and determine what caused the pavement collapse. While Runway 4/22 remained closed during repairs, airport operations continued on other runways. Reduced capacity contributed to mounting delays throughout the afternoon.
The incident highlights the operational vulnerability of busy airports like New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA), where even a single runway closure can trigger widespread disruptions across the national air traffic system, especially during peak travel periods and adverse weather conditions.
Anthony’s Take: I’m feeling lucky to have avoided any delays. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the size of the sinkhole or when the affected runway is expected to fully reopen. If you’re flying to or through the airport soon, check to see the status here.
(Featured Image Credit: @fl360aero.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
