Poor air quality and low visibility in New York City has forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to order ground stops at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Airport (EWR) on June 7, 2023.
The FAA took to Twitter to announce that the administration has slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility caused by wildfire smoke.
Since June 6, 2023, the East Coast of the United States has been plagued by wildfire smoke caused by wildfires in Central Canada.. The smoke has prompted school closures, affected businesses, delayed flights and caused smoke inhalation among residents.
LGA airport advised passengers to check with their respective airlines to determine flight status.
New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport (JFK) also advised that it is currently experiencing arrival and departure delays due to low visibility caused by smoke conditions in the region.
Images of LaGuardia Airport and areas of the city have been posted online, showing New York’s famous skyline enveloped in an amber-colored haze.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the situation an “emergency crisis,” adding that the air pollution index for parts of her state were eight times above normal.
The FAA said that as the wildfires and smoke continues to affect the US, it is fully prepared to modify airport and airline operations as needed.