Overview
- Newark, JFK, and LaGuardia faced flow restrictions and temporary suspensions, with official data showing average delays of about 218 minutes on Sunday.
- New York emergency officials said Newark arrivals were cut to roughly 20 planes per hour, and they warned a complete halt is possible if staffing or demand worsens.
- FAA reports put JFK’s arrival capacity at about 36 aircraft per hour after departures were paused first at JFK and then at LaGuardia.
- The Transportation Secretary said the government would close U.S. airspace if flights became unsafe, while noting the system has not reached that point.
- The FAA says roughly 13,000 controllers are working without pay, half of major facilities are short-staffed, and nearly 80% of controllers in New York area facilities were absent, with ripple delays also reported in Los Angeles, Boston, and Indianapolis.