The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented ground stops at New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports starting in the early afternoon of November 12, 2026, responding to severe thunderstorms disrupting the region’s air traffic. The ground stop at LaGuardia began at 1:27 p.m. ET and was initially expected to end at 3:45 p.m. ET, with a 30% to 60% chance of extension. At JFK, a ground stop started later at 2:49 p.m. ET under a similar expected end time and probability of extension. Newark Liberty International Airport experienced a ground delay program beginning at 2:37 p.m. ET and
a subsequent reissued ground stop extending through at least 4:30 p.m. ET.
Flight delays and cancellations rise across major New York airports
LaGuardia was also under a ground delay program from 1:00 p.m. ET until 11:59 p.m. ET, with arrivals averaging a delay of 63 minutes. Newark flights experienced more severe delays, averaging 137 minutes under the ground delay program. FlightAware data snapshot taken at 1:31 p.m. ET showed 215 delays and 10 cancellations at LaGuardia. At 2:24 p.m. ET, Newark reported 131 delays and 6 cancellations. JFK had 239 delays and 24 cancellations by 3:16 p.m. ET that day. The layered restrictions—ground stops and delay programs—significantly affected both arrivals
and departures across the New York metropolitan airspace.
Flood advisory and weather forecasts impact operations
The National Weather Service had issued a flood advisory through 1:45 p.m. ET for the Newark area due to heavy rain causing minor flooding in low-lying zones. The flood advisory did not specifically cover Queens, where LaGuardia is located. The weather service forecasted continued rainfall across the New York metropolitan area into November 13, with some minor coastal flooding expected. This ongoing adverse weather supported the FAA’s need to impose air traffic flow controls to maintain safety amid the severe thunderstorms.
FAA monitoring and potential for additional restrictions
The FAA continues to monitor the weather conditions across the Northeast
United States and has indicated that further air traffic restrictions are possible as the storm system progresses. Ground stops, which hold flights on the ground until the restriction lifts, and ground delay programs, which meter departures to control arrival traffic volumes, are part of the layered traffic management used at these congested airports. These measures affect flights departing airports outside the New York area, spreading delays through the national air traffic network. The current ground stops at LaGuardia and JFK were scheduled to end at 3:45 p.m. ET, but their potential extension depends on evolving weather conditions and air traffic
capacity.
