A Sinkhole Has Swallowed Part of a LaGuardia Runway Just Days Before Memorial Day, and Hundreds of Flights Are Already Cancelled

A sinkhole discovered during a routine airfield inspection at New York's LaGuardia Airport has forced the closure of one of the airport's only two runways, triggering a cascade of cancellations and delays on one of the worst possible days for travel disruption, just 72 hours before Memorial Day weekend.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed: 

“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 on-site to determine the cause and complete necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible.”

The sinkhole was spotted on the taxiway right on the edge of Runway 4/22. Port Authority workers and heavy machinery, including an excavator and a dump truck, converged on the sinkhole as aerial footage captured the scale of the emergency response. The ground failure directly endangered no aircraft or passengers, and no injuries have been reported in connection with the incident.

A Two-Runway Airport With One Runway Down

LaGuardia's layout makes any runway closure uniquely consequential. 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 is expected to lead to extensive cancellations and delays. 

Runway 4/22 is one of LaGuardia's primary arrival and departure routes. Its sudden closure comes on a day when thunderstorms are already expected to disrupt operations, compounding delays at one of the nation's busiest airports. Any extended shutdown could ripple across the Northeast air traffic system, affecting flights nationwide. 

Double Trouble

The timing of the ground failure compounded an already difficult operational day. For Port Authority officials, the sinkhole comes ahead of potential afternoon thunderstorms and just days before one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. Air traffic controllers routinely slow or halt departures during severe weather, meaning the airport is managing two separate disruption events simultaneously. 

The runway is expected to be closed until 6 a.m. ET Thursday, according to a notice published by the FAA. This is subject to change, and the weather could slow things down. The region is under a severe thunderstorm watch into Wednesday night. 

The FAA confirmed its response in a formal statement: 

"The FAA is slowing flights into LaGuardia Airport in New York due to weather and a sinkhole on Runway 4/22." 

Cancellations and Delays Stack Up

The disruption has translated rapidly into hard figures for travellers. The airport is currently under a ground delay, with flights departing to LaGuardia delayed an average of 98 minutes. According to FlightAware, there are 197 cancellations into and out of LGA and 168 delays as of Wednesday mid-afternoon. 

The average delay for arriving flights at LaGuardia was 1 hour 38 minutes around 2 p.m. ET, according to the FAA. Engineers are evaluating the sinkhole's size, cause and potential structural impact on the runway. Repairs will continue "as quickly and safely as possible," according to the Port Authority, which plans to issue further updates once crews determine whether the damage is isolated or part of a broader issue. 

The Port Authority confirmed its ongoing communications posture: 

"The Port Authority is in close communication with airlines and airport partners and will continue providing updates as conditions evolve. Travellers 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." 

A Troubling Pattern at a Struggling Hub

The sinkhole incident arrives at a particularly difficult moment for LaGuardia, which has endured a series of serious operational setbacks in 2026. The closure also comes nearly two months after the March 22 crash of Air Canada Flight 8646, when a CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation struck a Port Authority fire truck while landing on the same runway, killing pilots Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther and injuring dozens, a tragedy that has kept scrutiny on LaGuardia's airfield safety ever since. 

The LaGuardia sinkhole comes less than a week after another sinkhole opened up in nearby Suffolk County on Long Island, suspending two lanes of westbound traffic on the busy Long Island Expressway. The proximity of the two ground failures, both in the New York metropolitan area, within days of each other, will likely prompt questions about ageing sub-surface infrastructure across the region. 

Ironically, LaGuardia had already urged passengers to plan even before the sinkhole was discovered. Hours before the sinkhole was discovered, the airport urged travellers to "plan and arrive early" if travelling through the major hub on Wednesday, warning that it's "going to be busy." 

What Travellers Should Do Now

Passengers with flights through LaGuardia today and into Thursday morning should contact their airline directly and check their booking for waiver eligibility, as many carriers typically offer free rebooking during ground delay programmes. The FAA's stated reopening target is 6 a.m. Thursday remains provisional, with the thunderstorm watch adding a further layer of uncertainty to the repair timeline. Travellers connecting onward through LaGuardia should build in additional time, and those with non-urgent journeys may wish to explore alternative routing through JFK or Newark.

LaGuardia Airport: Runway Operations Status (May 20, 2026)

Ground Delay Programme (GDP): LaGuardia Airport, May 20, 2026

All figures are as reported at the time of writing and are subject to rapid change. Passengers should verify their status directly with the airline.