A seagull flies before the lower Manhattan skyline during heavy smog in New York on June 6, 2023.
Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images
Smoke from wildfires in Canada delayed flights at New York-area airports on Wednesday as haze blanketed the region and cut visibility.
The Federal Aviation Administration “slowed traffic to and from the New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” it said in a statement.
The agency earlier halted flights bound for New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport were slowed.
“The agency will adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions,” the FAA said.
As of about 2:10 p.m. ET, more than 1,600 U.S. flights were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
Flights to LaGuardia were delayed an average of about 120 minutes, and flights to Newark were delayed an average of 82 minutes, according to the FAA.
Smoke drifting South from wildfires in Canada covered the New York City area on Tuesday into Wednesday, tainting air quality and sending residents indoors. As of noon Wednesday, the city ranked fourth in the world for worst air quality, with an IQAir World Air Quality Index of 158, a level considered unhealthy for all residents.
United Airlines said in a statement it was “monitoring the situation closely and looking out for the safety of our employees who work outside, and adjusting our schedule where needed.”
A spokesman for Delta Air Lines told CNBC that the carrier has protective equipment for staff.
“And for those who work on the tarmac, we’re having them come inside to where breakrooms are in between aircraft turns,” the spokesman said. “We are also watching the forecasts which call for rain in NYC in the days ahead which should improve the air quality.”
— CNBC’s Emma Newburger contributed to this report.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
