Sinkhole at LaGuardia Airport forces runway shutdown amidst busy holiday travel
A pavement issue at LaGuardia Airport forced the temporary closure of one of the airport’s two main runways Wednesday, disrupting travel during the busy Memorial Day weekend rush.
The problem was discovered during a routine airfield inspection, when officials identified what they described as a roughly 2-inch “depression” next to Runway 4/22. Airport leaders said the runway was shut down as a precaution while crews assess and repair the area.
In a statement, LaGuardia said the closure was ordered out of an “abundance of caution,” adding that the pavement issue does not present an immediate safety threat.
The shutdown triggered significant delays for travelers. According to the report, 24 flights were canceled and 17 were delayed, affecting thousands of passengers with holiday weekend plans.
Emergency crews are working to restore the runway, though officials have not yet determined what caused the pavement problem. The incident is the second runway-related pavement disruption at LaGuardia in less than a month, raising fresh concerns about operational reliability at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
An image from March 28, 2026, shows airplanes on the runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York City. The photo was taken by Ryan Murphy/Getty Images.
