The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops on September 3, 2026, at 10 U.S. airports, including a major halt on departures at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The stops came amid severe thunderstorms disrupting air travel throughout the Northeast corridor, forcing flight cancellations and delays across multiple hubs.
Delays Peak at Newark and Boston Logan Amid Regional Thunderstorms
LaGuardia Airport experienced average ground delays of 45 minutes as thunderstorms swept through the region. Newark Airport, New Jersey, reported peak average delays reaching two hours. Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts recorded the highest number of delays in the U.S. with 19 incidents amid the storm activity. The weather impacted
air traffic across the tri-state area airports including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington.
Rare Multiday Thunderstorm Event Disrupts Northeast Air Traffic
The FAA’s ground stops followed three consecutive days of severe thunderstorms (September 1-3, 2026), an uncommon weather pattern for the region. The storms compounded disruption caused by recent severe weather including Tropical Storm Edouard in late August. Thunderstorm outbreaks in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions generated system-wide air traffic restrictions, affecting flights nationwide even outside the storm areas.
Labor Day Weekend Travel Compounded by Flight Delays and Cancellations
Travel during the busy Labor Day weekend was further strained by cascading flight cancellations and delays reported at every major carrier operating at the affected airports. Airlines issued
travel waivers allowing passengers to rebook flights on different dates or routes without penalty amid the ongoing disruptions. Ground-delay programs were active at Newark, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia during the storms.
FAA Defines and Tracks Ground Stops Amid Ongoing Storm Threat
According to the FAA, ground stops are a more severe control than ground delays, halting all departures at an airport to manage sudden and intense weather events when full ground delay models are not feasible. The agency tracks these measures in real time via its National Airspace System Status page, which showed active delays and ground stops across Northeast airports on September 3, 2026. The suspension
of departures created cascading effects as crews and aircraft were stranded, prolonging delays after the weather cleared.
