The Federal Aviation Administration paused all flights to New York City’s LaGuardia Airport Thursday morning—though not yet nearby JFK or Newark airports—after the agency reported low visibility as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect the Northeast.
A Southwest airliner approaches LaGuardia Airport in New York.
The FAA said “reduced visibility from wildfire smoke” will impact air travel throughout the Northeast, adding it will “likely” need to “manage the flow of traffic” in and out of airports surrounding New York City, Washington D.C., Philadelphia and Charlotte.
All flights bound for LaGuardia have been delayed an average of 54 minutes, according to the agency, with a maximum delay of 94 minutes.
As of 9:15 a.m. Thursday, 840 flights in the U.S. have been delayed, according to FlightAware, in addition to 59 cancellations.
The agency previously issued a ground stop for flights bound for LaGuardia, with an average delay of about 30 minutes.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg warned Wednesday that smoke from the wildfires would affect “visibility in our airspace” and lead to delays, noting the FAA was “fully prepared to modify operations as needed.”
New York City is the most polluted city in the world, according to global tracker IQAir. The level of PM 2.5—airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter—in the city is at 215 micrograms per cubic meter of air as of 9:15 a.m., classified as “very unhealthy.”
The wildfire smoke caused the New York Yankees to postpone its home game against the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday, while the WNBA’s New York Liberty postponed its home game against the Minnesota Lynx. The Phillies also postponed their home game against the Detroit Tigers Thursday. The smoke also caused Emmy Award-winning actress Jodie Comer to abruptly leave the stage during an afternoon showing of the Broadway one-woman play Prima Facie. Comer said the poor air quality made it hard to breathe.
Hundreds of Canadian wildfires have resulted in air quality alerts across several states in the Northeast, affecting more than 110 million Americans as of Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for New York City, recommending city residents consider limiting outdoor physical activity. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued its own warning, warning short-term effects from the smoke could result in irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, in addition to coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. To help battle the wildfires, the U.S. has sent over 600 firefighters and other support personnel, according to the White House.
New York Goes Martian: Wildfire Smoke Engulfs City In Eerie Orange Haze (Forbes)
New York City’s Smoke-Filled Air—Caused By Canadian Fires—Explained (Forbes)