Wildfire smoke snarls East Coast flights for a second day
Drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires forced delays in the New York region.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday began slowing flights in the New York City area for a second day, as Canadian wildfire smoke continues to impact visibility on the ground.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the FAA delayed all inbound flights to Newark Liberty International Airport and paused incoming flights from the Northeast, Ohio and mid-Atlantic to LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.
So far the amount of delayed flights is relatively small — 45 at Newark and 60 at LaGuardia as of Thursday morning — but those numbers could climb.
The FAA also cautioned that other East Coast airports could face delays on Thursday.
“The FAA will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” the agency said in a statement.
The smoke is the latest curveball for the summer travel season as airlines and the FAA brace for record travel levels from June through August.
Flight delays at Newark were averaging about 35 minutes while flight delays at LaGuardia are close to an hour, the FAA said.