NEW YORK, October 18, 2026 — Strong northerly winds and reports of severe turbulence led the FAA to halt flights into all three New York-area airports on Saturday afternoon, October 17. JFK’s ground stop ran longest, at 1 hour 38 minutes, and Newark kept a ground delay program running into the evening.
What happened (Saturday, October 17, Eastern time)
| Airport | Ground stop | Details |
|---|---|---|
| New York JFK (JFK) | About 3:33 p.m. to 5:11 p.m. | Initially set to end at 4:30 p.m., then extended. Gusts above 25 knots. FAA traffic-management delays of up to two hours. |
| Newark Liberty (EWR) | About 3:45 p.m. to 4:31 p.m. | Gusts of about 32 knots. Assigned arrival delays averaged more than an hour; a ground delay program continued into the evening. |
| LaGuardia (LGA) | About 3:46 p.m. to 4:24 p.m. | Wind and severe turbulence reports; flights from the Washington center’s area were among those held. |
All three ground stops were lifted Saturday afternoon. A ground stop holds flights headed to an airport; it does not ground every flight there. Rus Tourism News notes the disruption was separate from storm-related restrictions at several northeastern airports on Friday, October 16. JetBlue, Delta, American and international carriers were among the airlines affected at JFK.
What it means for non-revs
- Saturday’s knock-on effects. Late-afternoon holds during a busy travel period push aircraft and crews out of position, so Saturday-evening misconnects may have filled Sunday morning flights out of New York.
- Wind days are hard on standby. When the FAA cuts arrival rates, airlines often consolidate or cancel flights, and the remaining seats go to protected passengers first. On gusty days, list on an earlier flight and keep a backup.
- Spread your options across airports. All three airports were hit this time, but the stops at EWR and LGA were much shorter than JFK’s. Check loads at more than one New York airport when the forecast is windy.
- Watch the FAA status page. Ground stops and delay programs show up on the FAA’s National Airspace System status page before airline apps catch up.
Sources
- Rus Tourism News — Strong Winds Ground Flights at JFK, Newark and LaGuardia as New York Airport Delays Mount
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