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Smoke from in Canada across much of the New York area caused significant delays at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA) on Wednesday, June 5th. Inbound flights received the majority of the delays. More than 365 flights were delayed and more than 27 were canceled.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop as smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires entered the area. The federal hold that delayed all inbound flights to LaGuardia was lifted later but delays lasted throughout the day as the FAA adjusted traffic volume to account for the rapidly changing conditions.

Delays at multiple NYC airports

The delays are expected to continue until after the ground stop expires. The FAA issued a statement saying,

Over the past few days, smoke drifting South from over 420 wildfires in Canada has covered New York City and drifted as far down as South Carolina. Health officials have urged residents to limit outdoor activity in the New York City area. The air quality is expected to remain at an “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” level with no improvements until today afternoon. As of 15:00 on Wednesday, New York City ranked worst in the world for air quality with a World Air Quality Index of 342, a level considered hazardous for all residents.

As the ground stop was announced, multiple airports were listed as inbound airports affected. These airports include Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Ottawa International Airport (YOW), Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), and Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB). The FAA spoke about the ground stop, stating,

Multiple airlines are experiencing delays coming into LaGuardia.

As of 15:00 local time on Wednesday, almost 370 flights experienced delays coming into or leaving LaGuardia Airport. This will most likey grow as airlines and flights experience a ripple effect as the airport needs to ensure that each flight can land safely.

Although the ground stop has been lifted, flights to LaGuardia, on average, have been delayed 120 minutes, according to the FAA, with some flights being held at their origin airport to ease congestion. In addition to LaGuardia Airport, the FAA issued a ground delay at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in New Jersey. According to the FAA, there was an average delay of over 80 minutes at the airport due to the low visibility. That said, New York’s other major airport, John F. Kennedy International (JFK), has remained unaffected.

Furthermore, the FAA announced that it would be

According to FlightAware, 48 flights en route to Philadelphia have been delayed, with two cancellations.

Hardest Hit

The airline most impacted by these weather delays was Endeavor Air, which operates regional routes on behalf of Delta Airlines, which lists LaGuardia as on of its hub airports. Endeavor had 99 flights experiences some delay, with 11 cancellations. RepuRepublic Airways, which operates regional routes for United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, experienced 85 flight delays with nine cancellations.

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