Sinkhole on Runway Shuts Down NYC’s LaGuardia Airport

A sinkhole suddenly forced one of LaGuardia International Airport’s two runways to shut down Wednesday, throwing one of New York City’s busiest travel hubs into a day of delays, cancellations, and mounting frustration for passengers.

The problem was discovered around 11 a.m. during a routine morning inspection of the airport’s airfield, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Crews found the sinkhole near Runway 4/22, a critical strip of pavement used at the Queens airport.

The runway was immediately closed, and emergency construction and engineering crews rushed to the scene to begin repairs.

The Federal Aviation Administration said flights into LaGuardia were being slowed because of both weather and the sinkhole, creating a brutal one-two punch for travelers already bracing for severe storms in the region.

The runway is expected to remain closed until 6 a.m. Thursday, according to an FAA notice, though officials warned that timeline could change. Forecasted thunderstorms could complicate repair efforts and make an already messy travel day even worse.

“Travelers should expect delays and cancellations, particularly with forecast thunderstorms expected later today, and are strongly encouraged to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight status information,” the Port Authority said.

By Wednesday afternoon, LaGuardia was under a ground delay, with flights heading into the airport delayed by an average of 98 minutes.

FlightAware reported 197 cancellations into and out of LaGuardia and 168 delays as of mid-afternoon, leaving passengers stuck, scrambling, and searching for answers.

Audio from air traffic communications captured the confusion as a pilot asked what had happened to the runway.

“There’s a sinkhole,” a ground controller replied, adding that equipment appeared to already be on scene.

The disruption comes at a particularly rough time, with the New York region under a severe thunderstorm watch into Wednesday night. With only two runways at LaGuardia to begin with, losing one can create major ripple effects across the airport’s schedule.

For travelers, the advice is simple but frustrating: check with your airline before heading to the airport, prepare for delays, and watch for possible cancellations as crews work to patch the damaged runway.

The sinkhole shutdown is a developing situation.