Over 100 departing flights were cancelled at Newark Liberty International Airport on the morning of Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and dangerous lightning swept across North Jersey and the Northeast US. The Federal Aviation Administration halted ground operations starting Monday night due to frequent lightning making ramp operations unsafe.
Arriving flights at Newark Airport were forced to wait on the tarmac while departures remained stuck. Some passengers were aboard aircraft for more than seven hours because of these delays. The grounded departures and gate unavailability created a cascading backlog that increased delays and cancellations, affecting hundreds
of travelers across the New York metropolitan area. Disruptions spread throughout the Northeast and Midwest regions causing inbound and outbound flight delays.
Major carriers including United Airlines, JetBlue, and American Airlines issued travel waivers allowing eligible customers to rebook without change fees. Passengers with cancelled flights are entitled to full cash refunds under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.
The FAA and airlines are continuing to monitor weather conditions as operations gradually recover at Newark Liberty International Airport.
