Travel chaos as major US airports ground flights for HOURS

Travelers are facing significant disruptions on Monday as flights at major US airports have been delayed due to severe weather.

Departures to LaGuardia (LGA) Airport in New York are experiencing an average delay of over two hours, with some flights held for nearly four hours. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that there is up to a 60 percent chance that these delays could be extended. 

The alert is due to heavy rains and strong winds from the nor’easter hitting the East Coast. 

The FAA has also issued a ground stop at Boston Logan Airport (BOS) until at least 11am ET due to strong winds. 

Average delays are currently around three hours and 42 minutes, with some flights delayed as much as six hours and 33 minutes. 

The ground stop has also affected departures from major US and Canadian airports, including New York, Washington, Cleveland, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City. 

Airlines reported that 975 flights have been delayed, with an average delay of 41 minutes, and some flights were held up for up to 89 minutes. 

Departures to LaGuardia (LGA) Airport in New York are experiencing an average delay of over two hours due to heavy rains and strong winds from the nor’easter hitting the East Coast

Millions of Americans in New Jersey and New York remain under a state of emergency as gusts up to 45 mph and heavy rainfall continue through Monday evening. 

Newark International Airport (EWR) issued a departure delay starting at 9:40am ET due to extensive cloud coverage, currently averaging 15 minutes but expected to increase. 

Flights departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) are delayed an average of 15 minutes, with a Traffic Management program implemented at 10:27am ET to safely manage high departure volume. 

LGA, a few miles from JFK, has reported more than 1,300 flights delayed, including a temporary ground stop from 9:51am to 11:00am ET, though the overall delay program continues until 12:59am ET Tuesday. 

BOS delays are compounded by runway and taxiway construction, in addition to low clouds and gusty winds. 

The FAA’s delay program, issued at 8:30am ET, is expected to continue until 12:59am ET Tuesday. 

A spokesperson from the Massachusetts Port Authority said: Weather is the main issue causing delays/cancellations at the moment. In terms of impacts from the shutdown, we have not seen any new issues or an increase in callouts at this time at Logan.’ 

Many travelers are experience major delays on Monday morning due to severe weather (STOCK)

Flights to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) are being delayed by about 50 minutes on average due to low cloud ceilings, affecting departures from dozens of US air traffic centers, including Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York and Washington, DC. 

Airlines are urging passengers to check with carriers for updated departure times, as delays could ripple throughout the day.