Flight delays and cancellations plagued travelers on the East Coast on Wednesday night due to severe thunderstorms. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that several major airports in the New York and Washington D.C. areas were forced to pause flights as the storms rolled through the region, causing significant delays that lasted for hours.
The airports serving the metropolitan areas of New York, Washington, and Baltimore were all impacted by the severe weather. A large part of the region was under severe thunderstorm warnings or watches until late Wednesday night.
Departures to Newark, Kennedy, and La Guardia airports were halted until Thursday at 1 a.m. Travelers at Newark and La Guardia experienced delays of approximately one hour. Flights departing from the Baltimore, Dulles, and Reagan airports in the Washington area were also grounded on Wednesday night, but the ground stops were lifted around midnight.
Fortunately, Philadelphia International Airport and Teterboro Airport did not face any ground stops. However, departing flights from these airports were delayed by at least two hours on Wednesday night, according to the F.A.A.
The severe weather conditions not only affected flights but also caused inconvenience and frustration for travelers who were stranded or delayed at the airports. Airlines had to work around the disruptions to reschedule flights and accommodate affected passengers.
As thunderstorms continued to move through the East Coast, the F.A.A. advised travelers to check with their airlines for updates and changes to their flight schedules. The safety of passengers and crew members is always a top priority during severe weather events, and airlines take necessary precautions to ensure the well-being of everyone involved in air travel.