The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a ground stop for all flights destined for John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Sunday morning, September 13, 2026. The restriction began at 8:18 a.m. local time and lasted until 12:15 p.m., prompted by thunderstorms affecting the New York region.
Following the lifting of the ground stop at 12:15 p.m., departing flights from JFK continued to face delays. As of 3:30 p.m., the FAA reported an average delay time of 15 minutes for departures, a consequence of ongoing weather-related traffic management procedures put in place to safely handle the disrupted schedule.
Sunday morning’s
thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall and flooding across parts of the New York metropolitan area, leading to widespread travel disruptions on the ground and in the air. These conditions triggered the FAA’s decision to halt JFK arrivals temporarily to ensure passenger and crew safety during the severe weather.
