The Federal Aviation Administration stopped flights headed to all three New York airports because of strong winds. Ground stops went into effect at JFK at 3:20 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, October 17, followed by Newark at 3:29 p.m. and LaGuardia at 3:33 p.m. All three were first set to run until 4:30 p.m.
A ground stop means planes bound for an airport aren't allowed to take off from wherever they're starting. That’s why flights to New York sat at their departure gates this afternoon rather than circling over the city.
Ground Stops · New York
All Three Airports Are Moving Again
Contrail
The Wind
Gusty north winds have been sweeping the region all afternoon. Newark's weather report at 2:51 p.m. showed gusts of about 37 mph, with a peak near 38 mph just before that. JFK reported gusts around 30 mph and LaGuardia around 23 mph. Strong winds can force airports to use fewer runways or space planes farther apart, which means fewer flights can land each hour.
The FAA also flagged severe turbulence along routes into Newark, and arriving flights there were running about 15 minutes late and climbing.
Newark's Second Problem
Newark was already having a rough day. The FAA put it under a delay program starting at 4 p.m. because it's short on air traffic controllers for the second day in a row, with delays averaging more than an hour. The wind stop has been lifted, but the staffing delays remain, so Newark flyers should still expect the longest waits tonight.
What to Do if You're Flying
- Check your airline's app before heading to the airport, since ground stops can be extended or lifted on short notice.
- If you're connecting through New York, look at later connections now in case your first flight leaves late.
- Track your inbound plane. Your flight can't leave on time if the plane flying it is stuck somewhere else.
