The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented ground stops at LaGuardia Airport starting at 1:27 p.m. Eastern Time and at John F. Kennedy International Airport beginning at 2:49 p.m. on November 12, 2026, in response to thunderstorms affecting the New York metropolitan area. LaGuardia’s ground stop was initially expected to last until 3:45 p.m., while JFK’s ground stop shared the same initial end time. Simultaneously, LaGuardia operated under a ground delay program from 1 p.m. until 11:59 p.m. that evening, and Newark Liberty International Airport activated its own ground delay program at 2:37 p.m.
FlightAware data reflected the operational impact by
early afternoon. At approximately 1:31 p.m., LaGuardia reported 215 flight delays and 10 cancellations. Newark, at 2:24 p.m., showed 131 delays alongside 6 cancellations. JFK experienced 239 delays and 24 cancellations as of 3:16 p.m. Flights governed by the delay programs averaged 63 minutes of delay at LaGuardia and 137 minutes at Newark, indicating longer disruptions at the latter.
Weather Conditions and Advisories
The National Weather Service issued a flood advisory for the Newark area that remained in effect until 1:45 p.m., with reports of minor flooding in low-lying regions. This advisory did not extend to the Queens borough, the location of LaGuardia Airport.
The weather service forecast extended rainfall over the New York metropolitan area into November 13, 2026, including potential minor coastal flooding. Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall were the primary causes of the flight restrictions and operational delays implemented by the FAA.
FAA Monitoring and Traffic Management Measures
The FAA stated it continues to monitor meteorological developments across the Northeast, signaling that additional air traffic restrictions might be required as the weather system progresses. Ground stops implemented at LaGuardia and JFK require flights bound for those airports to remain on the ground until restrictions are lifted. Meanwhile, ground delay programs are designed to meter departures, scheduling flight arrivals
to maintain manageable traffic flow. These layered measures are necessary to coordinate complex operations amid congested regional airspace and affected airport capacity.
Flight Delays and Operational Impact
The combined effects of ground stops and delay programs created substantial flight disruptions for travelers at the three major New York area airports. Flights arriving under the delay programs suffered average delays of 63 minutes at LaGuardia and 137 minutes at Newark. FlightAware statistics revealed several hundred flights were delayed or canceled across the region on November 12, with the highest number of cancellations recorded at JFK. These disruptions illustrate how weather disturbances at a single congested hub
reverberate throughout the broader air traffic network, impacting departures even from airports beyond the immediate metropolitan area.
