LaGuardia Sinkhole Shuts Down Major Runway

A sinkhole discovered on a LaGuardia Airport runway Wednesday forced officials to close one of the airport’s busiest runways, triggering delays and cancellations as crews worked to repair the damage.

The sinkhole was found around 11 a.m. near Runway 4/22 during the Port Authority’s daily morning inspection of the airfield. The runway was shut down shortly afterward, and emergency construction and engineering crews were sent to the site to make repairs and determine what caused the collapse.

The Port Authority said it was working with airlines and airport partners and warned travelers to expect disruptions, particularly with thunderstorms also forecast later in the day.

“Travelers should expect delays and cancellations,” the agency said, urging passengers to check directly with their airlines for updated flight information.

Passengers said the closure caused unusual landing patterns and backed-up arrivals.

“We flew around Manhattan in a weird direction,” said Kit Deason, an IT manager from Alabama who flew Southwest. “Lately, with all the mishaps and near misses at major airports, I’m thankful they found it before a plane went into it.”

Ryan Mastian, who flew American Airlines from Indianapolis, said the pilot told passengers that planes were lining up “single file” at LaGuardia because of delays, but did not mention a sinkhole.

“I’m a firefighter, so I know if they’re shutting down runways, there’s a problem,” he said.

Some travelers missed or lost connecting flights. Samantha, a veterinarian from Maine, said her arriving flight landed without a long wait, but her connecting flight was later canceled.

Others faced hours-long delays. Rick Samko, who was trying to fly back to Miami on JetBlue, said his flight was pushed back until 2 a.m.

“A sinkhole at an airport, it wasn’t on my bingo card,” he said. “Now I’m just trying to rent a car to drive home.”