Sinkhole at major airport causes hundreds of flight delays
Crews discovered the sinkhole next to the runway during a routine inspection on Wednesday
Thousands of fliers continued dealing with long delays Thursday after authorities found a sinkhole next to the runway at a major destination for Canadian travellers.
Crews with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey found a sinkhole next to one of New York-LaGuardia Airport’s two runways during an inspection on Wednesday morning.
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“The runway was immediately shut down, and emergency construction and engineering crews are onsite to determine the cause and complete necessary repairs as quickly and safely as possible,” the Port Authority said on X on Wednesday.
LaGuardia Airport has only two runways: 4/22 and 13/31. The sinkhole has shunted hundreds of daily flights onto a single runway, 13/31, slowing the number of incoming and outgoing flights at this busy New York City airport.
Stormy weather conditions in the New York area have caused further delays and cancellations.
LaGuardia routinely ranks as one of the busiest routes out of Toronto-Pearson, Toronto-Billy Bishop, and Montreal-Trudeau, ferrying thousands of passengers each way across the border on a daily basis.
The Port Authority hasn’t yet released the cause of the sinkhole.
The most common cause of sinkholes is erosion of the bedrock as a result of excess water from events like heavy rainfall or water main breaks. New York City hadn’t seen much rain in the days leading up to the sinkhole’s formation, making weather an unlikely influence.