U.S. News

Sinkhole Shuts Major Airport Runway

HOLEY MOLEY

Passengers have been warned to expect delays.

Aerial view of the runway, taxiway, hangar and aircraft of LaGuardia Airport. General view of the LaGuardia Airport LGA with the terminal, apron, taxiway, runway and passenger aircraft. LaGuardia is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City, USA operating domestic and international flights. The owner is Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Air Canada, American Airlines, American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and United Express operate from the airport. LaGuardia has three active terminals A, B, C with 72 gates. LaGuardia is undergoing a multi-billion dollar redesign that resulted in a new Terminal B and a new Terminal C. LaGuardia Airport, NYC, United States of America on May 11, 2023 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

New York’s LaGuardia Airport has shut one of its runways after a sinkhole was discovered nearby. It was found on Wednesday, when officials conducted their morning inspections, leaving them with the challenge of identifying the problem and figuring out how to fix it. New York’s Port Authority said passengers should “Expect delays and cancellations,” adding that the problem was likely only to get worse with bad weather expected. “At approximately 11 a.m., the Port Authority was conducting its daily morning inspection of LaGuardia’s airfield when crews identified a sinkhole near Runway 4/22,” the airport said in a statement on X. “The runway was immediately shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are on-site to determine the cause and complete necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible. The Port Authority is in close communication with airlines and airport partners and will continue providing updates as conditions evolve. 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.” LaGuardia is built on land reclaimed from its surrounding bays.

Read it at The Guardian