JFK airport flight cancellations surged as severe weather and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ground stops disrupted air travel across the US, with nearly 2,000 flights cancelled nationwide on Friday, according to FlightAware data.
The disruptions followed a chaotic Thursday, when the FAA imposed ground stops at nine major US airports amid weather problems and an equipment outage. The affected airports included John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
JFK among airports hit by cancellations
The disruption carried into Friday, with cancellations for flights within, into or out of the US reaching 1,990, FlightAware data showed. Several major Northeast airports were particularly affected, with JFK, LaGuardia, Reagan National, Newark Liberty, Boston Logan and Philadelphia International Airport each reporting at least 200 cancellations.
The FAA issued seven additional ground stops on Friday, affecting Reagan National, Newark, Dulles, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia International and Teterboro airports.
JFK also had the highest number of departure cancellations among US airports heading into Saturday, while Reagan National recorded the most cancelled arrivals, with 44.
Severe weather, equipment outage add to travel chaos
Thunderstorms were a major factor behind the disruptions, while an FAA equipment outage at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport caused further problems. The airport said flights were gradually resuming after the outage was restored but warned that travelers could continue to face disruptions as airlines recovered.
“Airlines are beginning to resume some operations at MSP and other airports after FAA equipment outage,” MSP Airport said on X, advising passengers to check with their airlines for the latest flight information.
The outage resulted in 28 cancellations and 413 delays at MSP, according to FlightAware. Delta Air Lines was the carrier most affected there, with 180 delayed flights, representing 40% of its total capacity at the airport.
The disruption left some passengers waiting for hours. Aviation expert Zach Griff said on X that 53 aircraft were waiting to depart from JFK at one point, with delays averaging three hours at JFK and five hours at Newark.
Delta, United offer rebooking options
Airlines introduced flexible rebooking policies for passengers affected by the disruptions.
Delta offered eligible travelers at several Northeast hubs the option to rebook without fare differences under specified conditions, with the affected travel window covering August 6 through August 8 and rebooked travel permitted through August 11.
United Airlines also offered affected passengers the option to reschedule while waiving change fees and fare differences, subject to its stated conditions. Its waiver covered several airports in the New York and Philadelphia areas.
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