A sinkhole has closed a runway at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, leading to cancellations and delays as workers make repairs.

According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, crews found the sinkhole around 11 a.m. on Wednesday while conducting a daily morning inspection of the airfield.

“The sinkhole was located near Runway 4/22, one of the airport’s two runways,” ABC News stated.

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ABC News shared further:

Runway 4/22 was “immediately” shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are on site to make repairs, the Port Authority said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it is slowing flights into LaGuardia “due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22.”

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“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.

The airport is currently under a ground delay, with flights departing to LaGuardia delayed an average of 98 minutes.

According to FlightAware, there are currently 197 cancellations into and out of LGA, and 168 delays.

“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 runway was immediately shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are onsite to determine the cause and complete necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible,” LaGuardia Airport stated.

“The Port Authority is in close communication with airlines and airport partners and will continue providing updates as conditions evolve,” it continued.

CBS News shared additional coverage:

CBS News noted:

Unlike nearby John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, which have numerous runways they can fall back on in the case of a problem such as this, LaGuardia has just two runways to handle all takeoffs and landings. Because 4/22 is expected to be shut down for an undetermined amount of time, all air traffic now has to land and take off at Runway 13/31. That could lead to extensive delays.

Compounding the problem is a forecast calling for thunderstorms from the late afternoon until around 8 p.m.

 

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