Sinkhole at LaGuardia Airport forces runway closures during busy holiday season
Todd Piro reports on a significant sinkhole at LaGuardia Airport, resulting in runway closures and major travel disruptions. The incident caused 24 cancellations and 17 delays, affecting thousands of Memorial weekend travel plans. Emergency crews are working to clear the runway, but the cause is still under investigation, adding to the airport's recent operational challenges.
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LaGuardia Airport temporarily closed one of its main runways on Wednesday after inspectors found “distress” in the pavement near the airport, marking the second time in less than a month that New York City's airport has halted operations on the runway due to traffic concerns.
Airport officials said the depression, about 2 inches deep, was identified near Runway 4/22, one of LaGuardia's two main runways.
“During an inspection of the runway at LaGuardia Airport, approximately two inches of pressure was identified near Runway 4/22,” the airport said.
The airport said the closures are ongoing and “out of an abundance of caution,” while stressing that the issue does not cause “immediate security concerns.”
LA GUARDIA AIRPORT ROAD CLOSED AFTER FINDING A BRIEF DURING INSPECTION TOMORROW.
Airplanes are seen on the runway at LaGuardia Airport on March 28, 2026, in New York, New York. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
Arrivals at LaGuardia are currently delayed by an average of 48 minutes but are decreasing, according to FlightAware flight tracking data. ABC 7 previously reported 174 delays early Wednesday, citing the forum.
Runway 4/22 is scheduled to close at 5 p.m. and is expected to remain closed until Thursday morning as maintenance crews work through the night to conduct additional inspections, identify the cause of the problem and perform any necessary stabilization work.
“Our goal is to complete the inspection and any necessary maintenance work overnight and return the runway to service as soon as it is safe to do so,” the airport said.
AIR CANADA PASSENGER SAYS PILOT 'DID THE BEST THEY COULD,' DESCRIBE DEADLY IMPACT
An airplane taxis on the runway at LaGuardia Airport]on March 28, 2026, in New York, New York. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
During the closure, operations will be shifted to LaGuardia's remaining main runway, 13/31, beginning at 5 p.m. and expected to continue until repairs are completed.
LaGuardia said passengers are encouraged to check their flights.
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Crews are surrounding a sinkhole found near the runway at LaGuardia Airport. (WNYW)
This incident marks the second time in less than a month that this stretch of road is in need of emergency engineering work.
The runway was previously closed after the construction of a sinkhole during Memorial Day.
Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
