Traffic & Transit
NYC Flight Cancellations: Freezing Rain Grounds 900 Planes
Airlines canceled hundreds of regional flights on Friday, including 361 at LGA, as freezing rain threatened to cover the city in ice.
QUEENS, NY — As freezing rain threatened to cover New York City in ice Friday, airlines canceled nearly 900 flights region-wide.
The brunt of those cancellations were at LaGuardia Airport and Newark International Airport, where 361 and 348 flights were grounded as of 9 a.m., respectively, according to the data-tracking service Flight Aware. An additional 164 flights were canceled at John F. Kennedy International Airport, data shows.
The cancellations, which were precipitated by the "wintry mix" of freezing rain and sleet forecast to hit the city, come after weeks of travel upsets at the city's airports.
Find out what's happening in Astoria-Long Island Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Last weekend, a major nor'easter snowstorm pummeled New York, grounding hundreds of flights region-wide and causing a chaotic "meltdown" at JFK airport, where delays held passengers "hostage" for ten-plus hours.
The situation was reportedly worsened by staff shortages, which have plagued area airlines for weeks amid the omicron surge.
Find out what's happening in Astoria-Long Island Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Local travelers, however, can take solace in knowing that this weekend's cancellations should end on Saturday, when the forecast shows partly cloudy — but rain and snow free — skies in New York City.
Related Article: NYC Weather: Freezing Rain Could Cover City In Ice Friday
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