Passengers departing from all three major airports in the tri-state area faced delays Monday night as flight disruptions continue to be a grim summertime issue.
The Federal Aviation Administration warned in a tweet around 5 p.m. Monday that delays at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark airports could be about two hours. The FAA blamed problems with “unexpected availability of personnel.”
“Due to the unexpected availability of personnel tonight, the FAA is having to reduce aircraft flow around New York City to ensure safety.” said the tweet. “Evening delays at @JFKairport, @LGAairport and EWRairport can be as much as 2 hours. Check fly.faa.gov for updates and contact your airline for flight information.”
The flight would be delayed due to staffing issues, the FAA said. AP
in the a follow-up tweet Just after 9 p.m., the FAA, “New York City airspace now has some extra staffing,” allowing ground delays at JFK and Newark to be canceled.
“It’s unusual for the expected delays to be verbalized due to lack of staff availability,” Kathleen Bangs, a spokeswoman for tracking group FlightAware.com, told NBC News in an email.
The FAA announcement is the latest complication for the airline industry, which has struggled all summer, resulting in delayed and canceled flights for passengers ready to board planes as concerns about COVID ease.