A seagull flies before the lower Manhattan skyline during heavy smog in Latest York on June 6, 2023.
Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images
Smoke from wildfires in Canada delayed flights at Latest York-area airports on Wednesday as haze blanketed the region and cut visibility.
The Federal Aviation Administration “slowed traffic to and from the Latest York City area airports as a consequence of reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” it said in an announcement.
The agency earlier halted flights sure for Latest York’s LaGuardia Airport. Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport were slowed.
“The agency will adjust the quantity 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, based on flight tracking site FlightAware.
Flights to LaGuardia were delayed a median of about 120 minutes, and flights to Newark were delayed a median of 82 minutes, based on the FAA.
Smoke drifting South from wildfires in Canada covered the Latest York City area on Tuesday into Wednesday, tainting air quality and sending residents indoors. As of noon Wednesday, the town ranked fourth on this planet for worst air quality, with an IQAir World Air Quality Index of 158, a level considered unhealthy for all residents.
United Airlines said in an announcement it was “monitoring the situation closely and searching out for the security 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 workers.
“And for many who work on the tarmac, we’re having them come inside to where breakrooms are in between aircraft turns,” the spokesman said. “We’re also watching the forecasts which call for rain in NYC in the times ahead which should improve the air quality.”
— CNBC’s Emma Newburger contributed to this report.
That is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
