Nightmare in the Sky: Air Traffic Control Warns Pilots of Shoulder-Fired Missile Threat at LaGuardia | WATCH

MANPADS stands for Man-Portable Air-Defense System — shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles designed to target low-flying aircraft. Such alerts are rare at U.S. airports and are typically issued as a precautionary measure when unverified reports surface.

Authorities quickly determined the report was not credible, and no disruption to airport operations was reported beyond the brief alert to pilots. There were no evacuations, flight cancellations, or ground stops.

LaGuardia, one of the nation’s busiest airports, handles hundreds of thousands of passengers monthly, with Terminal C serving primarily as Delta Air Lines’ hub. No official statement has yet been issued by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey or the FAA.

This is only the second known MANPADS alert at a major U.S. airport in recent memory. The previous one occurred at Los Angeles International Airport in 2013 and was also deemed non-credible.

Aviation security officials treat every such report seriously, given the potential danger posed by these weapons, even though the overwhelming majority turn out to be false alarms.