A developing sinkhole near one of LaGuardia Airport’s two main runways forced a shutdown Wednesday, triggering delays and cancellations across the New York air travel network. The depression was discovered around 11 a.m. during the airport’s daily airfield inspection near Runway 4/22, according to airport officials.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey immediately closed the runway while emergency construction and engineering crews moved in to assess the cause and stabilize the area. Live images showed work focused on a taxiway leading to Runway 4/22, with the affected surface cordoned off as crews excavated and examined the damaged pavement.
With one primary runway out of service, LaGuardia operations slowed significantly. By early afternoon, average departure delays had climbed to about 30 minutes, with arrivals delayed roughly 38 minutes, according to FlightAware. Another report cited average departure delays of more than 90 minutes and at least 197 cancellations into and out of LaGuardia as disruptions mounted.
Port Authority officials said they were in close communication with airlines and urged passengers to check directly with their carriers for updated flight status. Forecast thunderstorms were expected to compound the delays while repair work continued on the disabled runway and adjacent taxiway.