Overview
- Port Authority crews discovered a sinkhole near Runway 4/22 during a daily inspection on Wednesday and the runway was immediately taken out of service.
- Emergency construction and engineering teams moved in to assess and repair the damage while the FAA slowed arrivals and issued ground-delay measures.
- Flight trackers and airlines reported hundreds of cancellations and delays as LaGuardia shifted all operations to its single remaining runway, 13/31.
- The Port Authority now says it expects to reopen the runway before flight operations Friday after initially targeting Thursday, but investigators have not yet determined a definitive cause.
- Officials are examining possible causes including nearby fuel-line tunneling, and forecasters warn thunderstorms could worsen delays and complicate repairs while many travelers remain stranded.