- Port Authority crews found a sinkhole during a routine morning inspection on Runway 4/22.
- Over 400 flights were affected as the airport operated at half capacity through Wednesday.
- Repairs are expected to keep the runway closed until Thursday morning at 6 a.m. ET.
(NEW YORK, NY) — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey shut down Runway 4/22 at LaGuardia Airport on Wednesday after crews found a sinkhole during a daily morning airfield inspection around 11 a.m., cutting the airport to roughly half capacity and disrupting hundreds of flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration slowed arrivals into LaGuardia Airport “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22,” as severe thunderstorms added another layer of disruption over New York’s airspace.
More than 400 flights were canceled or delayed across the airport while repair crews worked on the damaged runway. By mid-afternoon Wednesday, FlightAware reported 197 cancellations and 168 delays at LGA.
The sinkhole hit one of LaGuardia’s two main runways, a loss that sharply reduced operating capacity at one of the nation’s busiest airports. Port Authority officials moved immediately to close the surface after the defect was discovered during the routine inspection.
That closure left airlines and air traffic managers with fewer options as storms moved through the region. The FAA also imposed a ground delay, and average departure delays stretched to 98 minutes.
Delta Air Lines appeared to take one of the hardest hits. FlightAware reported more than 90 cancellations and more than 400 delays for the carrier.
Crews were expected to keep the runway closed until at least 6 a.m. Thursday ET, weather permitting. That timetable left airlines facing hours of constrained operations even after the worst of the afternoon disruption had passed.
LaGuardia Airport normally relies on two runways to keep traffic moving through a tightly scheduled operation with little room for setbacks. Losing Runway 4/22 meant departures and arrivals had to funnel through the remaining runway while thunderstorms continued to affect the region.
Weather and runway availability often interact in ways that magnify delays. A storm system can slow traffic on its own; a runway shutdown at the same time can turn routine spacing measures into wider cancellations, longer taxi times, and ripple effects that spread across airline schedules.
Wednesday’s numbers reflected that pressure. The airportwide count of cancellations and delays mounted as the day went on, while the FAA’s traffic controls and airline schedule changes worked in parallel with the repair effort on the airfield.
Passengers were told to expect delays and cancellations. Port Authority officials urged travelers to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status before heading to the airport.
The disruption also underscored how quickly a single airfield problem can reshape operations at LaGuardia Airport. A sinkhole found in a morning inspection on Runway 4/22 forced an immediate shutdown, slowed flights for hours, and left one of New York’s main airports working through the day with half its usual runway capacity.
