The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) activated ground stops at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) on Monday afternoon, August 12, 2026, in response to severe thunderstorms affecting the tri-state area.
Ground stops remained in effect until 6:30 p.m. at JFK and LaGuardia, and until 6 p.m. at Newark, with the FAA indicating that extensions were possible due to continued adverse weather conditions. As of 4:15 p.m., flights destined for the three airports experienced delays exceeding two hours.
Flight Delays and Cancellations at Tri-State Airports
According to FlightAware data, LaGuardia faced the largest disruption with over 200 flights delayed and
nearly 100 cancellations. Newark and JFK combined reported more than 300 flight delays. These delays and cancellations have significantly disrupted air traffic at the New York metropolitan area airport cluster.
Passengers traveling to Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia should anticipate extended delays and potential cancellations for flights scheduled on August 12. The ground stops have stalled departures and arrivals as safety measures are maintained during the thunderstorm conditions.
FAA Safety Measures During Thunderstorms
The FAA uses ground stops to control air traffic flow and reduce risk during adverse weather events. The ground stops at the tri-state airports were implemented to ensure safe flight operations amid the
thunderstorms sweeping across the region on August 12, 2026.
