Travelers flying out of Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA) are facing lengthy delays and cancellations this morning as weather continues to be an issue on the East Coast.
Beginning around 8 A.M. EST Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops at the three major airports due to thunderstorms in the area. For frequent flyers, the weather-related ground stops are par for the course these days. Just last week, FAA ground stops halted hundreds of flights at the same three locations.
Presently, ground stops at LGA and EWR have a medium (30%-60%) chance of extending. For New Yorkers, the chance of extension is higher, with a greater than 60% likelihood. For now, here’s a look at how many delays and cancellations these hubs are facing and what travelers can expect.
Hundreds Of Flights Canceled At EWR, JFK, And LGA
According to live data from FlightAware, hundreds of arrival and departure flights have already been canceled. Delays are stacking up pretty quickly as well.
| Airport | Cancellations | Delays |
| EWR | 153 | 59 |
| JFK | 305 | 80 |
| LGA | 332 | 110 |
At JFK in particular, JetBlue routes account for more than half of the airport’s cancellations, with 139 canceled flights. Luckily, the carrier was prepared for the weather and updated its travel advisories page yesterday ahead of the storms.
Flexible Rebooking Options For Weather-Affected Travelers On East Coast
JetBlue’s travel alert reads:
“Severe weather is expected across the New York metro and may affect travel. We will waive change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers traveling on JetBlue-operated flights Monday, July 27 through Wednesday, July 29, 2026.”
The site goes on to explain that customers can rebook flights through Saturday, August 1, 2026. Additionally, JetBlue notes that those with canceled flights may opt for a refund to the original form of payment so long as the original trip was booked before Sunday, July 26, 2026.
United Airlines had a similar advisory which reads, “You can reschedule your trip, and we’ll waive change fees and fare differences. But your new flight must be a United flight departing between July 27, 2026 and July 30, 2026. Tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.”
Online, passengers are growing tired of the delays.
“I’d Rather Have My Flight Canceled” East Coast Travelers Exasperated By Hours Of Delays
On social media, travelers are surprisingly impressed with the quick cancellations, with many saying they prefer this to lengthy delays that often end in canceled flights anyway.
“Checking in at 8 a.m. storm [is] still 5+ hours away… At this point, I’d rather have my flight canceled than sit at the terminal waiting for it to be axed,” one traveler wrote on Reddit.
Another added, “It’s honestly better they are doing this. They know the weather is going to be crappy and rather than try these flights that’ll inevitably get heavily delayed or eventually canceled and screw up crew rest, they are getting ahead of it and canceling everything now to get a good grip once the weather is good.”
Several commenters echoed the same sentiment, that canceling the flights out of caution is better than waiting around for hours.
“That’s the right move, let people rebook and make plans. You want to show up, get delayed 5 hours, and then be canceled? It’s going to be a [mess] tomorrow,” one said.
It seems these cancellations may continue into Wednesday, as a flood watch was issued for a large portion of the tri-state area.
Bad Weather To Continue For East Coast Airports
Local reports from New York’s Pix11 say that the heavy rain and thunderstorms currently sweeping across the East Coast may continue into the week, leading to possible flooding.
The forecast predicts that one to three inches of rain per hour are possible during these storms, which could cause potentially “life-threatening flash floods” in some areas.
The flood watch is currently set to last through tomorrow evening. For those hoping to fly in or out of the area this week, keep a close eye on your flight status and take advantage of any flexible rebooking options available.
