The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented ground stops on August 18, 2026 at nine airports across the Northeast United States due to severe weather conditions including thunderstorms and damaging wind gusts.
Delta Air Lines issued travel alerts for customers at its nine Northeast hubs affected by the ground stops, offering flexible rebooking options for impacted flights scheduled for August 6 and 7, 2026. Passengers reissuing their tickets by August 10 can change flights without paying change fees if the same cabin and destination are maintained. Delta warned that fare differences may apply if the original booking class is not preserved.
Flight Cancellations at LaGuardia and Newark
LaGuardia Airport (LGA) recorded the highest number of flight cancellations in the United States, with 43 cancellations reported by early morning on August 18, 2026. On the previous day, August 17, LaGuardia had 37 departure and 27 arrival cancellations. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) had the second most cancellations nationwide, recording 27 on August 17.
Passenger Delays and Staffing Issues at LaGuardia
Passengers at LaGuardia experienced significant delays prior to the arrival of severe thunderstorms on August 18. FAA data indicated delays close to three hours due to ground stoppages and air traffic control (ATC) congestion. Delta flight DL2396 from LaGuardia to Palm Beach International was delayed
because only one pilot was available for the flight, reflecting staffing challenges.
Delta passenger Mark Haubry tweeted complaints about a two-hour delay on a flight from Indianapolis to LaGuardia caused by ATC delays. Another passenger, Rudi Bester, noted the delay of flight DL2396 due to insufficient pilot availability.
Severe Weather Forecast and Regional Impact
Thunderstorms with the risk of damaging wind gusts were forecast to affect New York, New Jersey, and the broader Northeast region during the afternoon and evening of August 18, prompting the FAA ground stops. Aviation expert JonNYC noted on social media that Delta was preparing a flight cancellation package specifically for New
York City to address expected significant ATC delays.
Alongside Delta, major U.S. carriers including JetBlue, particularly those operating in Northeast hubs such as New York and Boston, were also affected by weather-related flight disruptions.
Delta’s Official Rebooking Policy and Ongoing Disruptions
Delta confirmed that passengers on impacted flights could rebook travel without change fees if done by August 10, 2026, and the alternate travel is in the same cabin class as originally booked. The airline cautioned that fares could differ if the booking class is not preserved in the new itinerary. This flexible rebooking policy applies across Delta’s nine affected airports in the Northeast.
Given the anticipated
prolonged impact of thunderstorms and delays in ATC, Delta and the FAA expect delays and cancellations will continue throughout the day on August 18, 2026.
