Thousands of travelers were stranded Monday after record-breaking rainfall hammered the New York metro area, causing major delays at LaGuardia, Newark Liberty, and JFK airports. Nearly two inches of rain fell between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., local time, marking the second-wettest hour on record for the region, according to Travel Market Report and weather officials. Flash flooding hit NYC airports and nearby areas, shutting down subway lines and creating a travel nightmare for airline passengers.
FlightAware reported over 10,000 flight disruptions nationwide, including more than 1,600 cancellations and 8,831 delays. Many travelers spent over three hours stuck on idle planes as airport ground stops spread across the Northeast. The chaos spilled into Tuesday morning with ongoing delays and cancellations.
Which NYC Airports Faced The Worst Disruptions?
FlightAware data showed that LaGuardia Airport (LGA) canceled 195 flights on Monday, accounting for 34% of its schedule. Newark Liberty (EWR) followed with 183 cancellations (29%), while Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) had 131 (27%) and JFK saw 126 (16%).
By early Tuesday (July 15), Newark had reported 156 canceled flights, accounting for 13% of its total. LaGuardia listed 68 cancellations, and Reagan National showed 72. Combined, the three major New York-area airports canceled over 200 flights by Tuesday morning.
Republic Airlines faced the worst of it, canceling nearly 400 flights. American Airlines followed with 350, and United canceled 241. United was also the only major carrier to issue a travel waiver for affected passengers. Delta Air Lines and Endeavor Air also saw major disruptions, canceling 145 and 163 flights, respectively.
The FAA implemented ground stops exceeding three hours at multiple airports, contributing to the massive backlog of flights. While Tuesday’s airline-specific cancellation numbers are still being compiled, the overall trend indicates improvement from Monday’s extensive disruptions. However, travelers should continue to check their flight status before heading to the airport.
