Severe summer storms disrupted flight operations on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Chicago O’Hare reported more than 120 canceled flights and over 400 delayed departures as of 2 p.m. EDT. New York’s JFK and LaGuardia airports combined recorded over 100 cancellations and upwards of 250 flight delays amid continuing heavy rainfall and storm activity.
FAA Ground Stops and Weather Impact
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed ground stops for flights destined for Chicago O’Hare and Midway airports starting early on August 11. The ground stop at ORD was lifted at 11:15
a.m. Central Time, while Midway’s ground stop lasted until at least 11:30 a.m. A ground delay program continued at O’Hare until 10 p.m. local time to manage the backlog of flights. Intense storms moving across Illinois and Indiana unleashed destructive wind gusts reaching up to 100 mph, along with brief tornadoes and heavy rains that caused significant operational challenges.
Airline Waivers and Passenger Policies
Major U.S. airlines responded with travel waivers for passengers affected by the disruptions. American Airlines waived change fees and fare differences for travelers with tickets purchased by August 9 scheduled to fly through ORD, JFK, LGA, or Newark Liberty International Airport
(EWR) on August 11. Rebooking was allowed for travel through August 13. United Airlines permitted free rebooking for ORD flights on August 11 for travel rescheduled between August 9 and 14 in the same cabin without fare adjustments. Delta Air Lines covered passengers holding tickets issued by August 10 traveling through JFK, LGA, EWR, and Westchester County Airport (HPN), allowing rebooking through August 13 without fees. JetBlue extended waivers for flights touching JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN, Long Island MacArthur (ISP), or Boston Logan (BOS) on August 10 and 11, enabling rebooking until August 15 without penalties.
Passenger Rebooking and Operational Notices
All airlines urged passengers
to use mobile applications or online portals to manage rebooking before arriving at airports. The Chicago Department of Aviation reported that Midway Airport’s control tower was briefly evacuated during the storm conditions, further affecting airport operations. These coordinated measures followed the FAA’s announcement of ground stops to safeguard flight safety amid the severe weather.
