The aviation industry in the northeastern United States is grappling with widespread flight delays due to the pervasive smoke caused by wildfires in Canada. The smoke, which has been affecting air quality started to impact flights on Wednesday, June 7, resulting in significant disruptions.
Challenging Operating Conditions in the Northeastern United States
The deteriorating conditions have led to extensive delays at major airports such as John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR). To ensure operational safety and minimize further disruptions, air traffic to and from these New York area terminals has been significantly slowed down.
The FAA has slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.
The agency will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.
Please monitor https://t.co/smgdqJN3td. #AirQualityAlert
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 7, 2023
Current Updates
As of Thursday, June 8, the regulatory authority overseeing civil aviation in the United States announced a temporary halt to all flights from Ohio, the Mid-Atlantic region, and the rest of the northeastern United States to New York. This measure has been implemented due to the prevailing smoke conditions.
In addition, flights scheduled for Philadelphia (PHL) will remain grounded until further notice due to poor visibility caused by the smoke.
At the time of writing this article, the latest report from the Federal Aviation Administration revealed average delays of 54 minutes at LaGuardia and 34 minutes at Newark.
Reduced visibility from wildfire smoke will continue to impact air travel today. We will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte.
Follow us here for major updates & monitor https://t.co/smgdqJN3td.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 8, 2023
The smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to affect vast areas of the Northeastern United States, as well as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada. These challenging conditions are anticipated to persist over the next few hours. Aviation authorities are closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of air travelers.
