More than 500 flights were cancelled and 4,000 delayed on July 13, 2026, across the New York area, including John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Philadelphia International Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration is managing these disruptions by slowing flights into these airports due to adverse weather and air traffic control staffing shortages.
FAA Flight Management Procedures
The FAA is using two main methods to control air traffic flow into these airports: ground stops and ground delays. Ground stops involve holding flights at their departure locations until the FAA lifts the restriction to prevent overloading the airspace. Ground delays
allow flights to leave but assign specific takeoff times to maintain safe spacing and avoid congestion in the skies or prolonged circling while awaiting landing clearance.
Causes and Impact on Operations
The disruptions stem from challenging weather conditions combined with staffing shortages at the air traffic control facility overseeing these key northeastern airports. These constraints have led to intermittent ground stops and ground delays throughout the evening on July 13.
Travelers departing for JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and Philadelphia airports may face holding patterns at their origin airports due to ground stops or scheduled departure postponements from ground delays, affecting flight schedules and passenger itineraries.
Updated
information on cancellations and delays is available through FlightAware, while the FAA’s website provides real-time advisories and status on ground stops at these airports.
