The Federal Aviation Administration imposed ground stops on July 28 at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and LaGuardia Airport, triggering extensive flight cancellations and delays. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport reported 2,538 cancellations and 8,434 delays under FAA mandates the same day.
On July 27, Chicago O’Hare International Airport experienced over 1,000 flight cancellations due to thunderstorms, marking the highest number of cancellations nationwide that day. The FAA reported an average ground delay of 438 minutes at O’Hare associated with the disruptions.
The National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook forecasting thunderstorms and flooding around
Chicago O’Hare International Airport from July 31 through August 1, with rainfall between 0.75 and 1 inch expected on July 31. There is a 100% chance of precipitation Friday night and an 80% chance on August 1. The FAA is monitoring the airport for possible ground stops and delays during this period.
New York City area airports, including Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia, recorded 30,000 weather-related delays exceeding 15 minutes in 2022, indicating severe operational challenges. The FAA noted that airports operating near capacity cannot easily adjust delayed flights outside of weather disruptions, causing longer wait times when severe weather coincides
with high demand.
Travelers at Chicago O’Hare encountered substantial cancellations and delays on July 27. On July 28, ground stops at Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia resulted in hundreds of canceled flights. Baltimore/Washington International also faced widespread disruption with over 2,500 cancellations. The FAA advised travelers to check the agency’s website and airline apps for the latest flight information amid expected disruptions on July 31 and August 1 at Chicago O’Hare.
The National Weather Service warned: “There will be a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight. A few of these storms may approach severe limits southwest of a Rochelle to
Kankakee line. Heavy rain may lead to localized flooding.” The FAA added, “If an airport has excess capacity, many delayed planes can be shifted to non-weather periods without overloading the system. However, airports with the most weather delays also tend to operate close to capacity for large parts of the day. System-impacting weather, combined with excess demand, means that delayed flights may have to wait hours to land or depart.”
