New York Flight Delays, LGA and JFK Ground Stops, GDPs

Published on Aug 13, 2025, 6:08 pm CDT

6 min read

Thunderstorms across the New York metro are triggering Ground Delay Programs and intermittent ground stops at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA). As of late afternoon on August 13, average gate holds and taxi delays in New York ranged from about 1 hour, 45 minutes to 2 hours, 30 minutes, with programs expanding into the evening push. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has seen similar constraints as the FAA prioritizes safety and spacing during convective weather. Travelers should expect rolling delays, tighter connection windows, and sporadic cancellations as airlines re-sequence schedules.

Key Points

Why it matters: New York flight delays ripple nationwide, stranding travelers and crews.
Travel impact: JFK and LGA facing 1 to 2.5 hour holds, capacity cut by storms.
What's next: Programs may compress or extend as cells redevelop this evening.
Waiver roundup active for parts of the Northeast on several carriers.
Expect Airspace Flow Programs and reroutes around storm cells.

Snapshot

The FAA Command Center reports Ground Delay Programs at JFK and LGA to meter arrivals during strong thunderstorms, with intermittent ground stops when cells sit over departure fixes. Reported gate-hold and taxi delays in the New York complex ran from roughly 1 hour, 45 minutes to 2 hours, 30 minutes in the late afternoon, and were trending higher as additional storms fired. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Boston's General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS) are also seeing flow controls and reroutes as the Northeast corridor constricts. For a broader daily context, see our FAA Air Traffic Report, August 11, 2025: Delays & Storms and the rolling coverage on our FAA Daily Air Traffic Report topic page.

Background

Summer thunderstorm clusters routinely force the FAA to reduce arrival acceptance rates in New York and across the Northeast. Traffic managers use Severe Weather Avoidance Plans, reroutes, and Airspace Flow Programs to meter flows through the most constrained fixes. When airport arrival capacity drops for an extended period, the FAA activates a Ground Delay Program, assigning Expect Departure Clearance Times to hold flights on the ground at their origin rather than stack them in the air. In the New York TRACON, even brief convective bursts can close a key departure gate, which cascades into longer taxi queues and missed connections. Today's operational picture fits that pattern, with New York, Boston, and Philadelphia trading weather impacts while carriers publish limited-fee-change waivers for affected tickets.

Latest Developments

New York flight delays widen as GDPs, AFPs, and SWAP kick in

The FAA's afternoon advisories list Ground Delay Programs at both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), plus intermittent ground stops as storms pulse over departure routes. Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) has reported rising gate holds while Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and Boston Logan, General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), face metering and reroutes. Expect Airspace Flow Programs to meter traffic through constrained en-route sectors, with Severe Weather Avoidance Plan routings shifting departures around the worst cells. Practical translation for travelers, longer taxi-out times, re-sequenced takeoffs, and tighter connection buffers this evening, especially on shorter New York, Boston, and Philadelphia turns.

How Ground Delay Programs work, and what that means for you

A Ground Delay Program balances demand with a reduced arrival rate by assigning each flight an Expect Departure Clearance Time. Instead of launching and holding in the sky, aircraft wait at the origin until their assigned window, which smooths arrivals at the constrained airport. Times can "compress" if weather improves, so flights may board earlier on short notice. If storms linger, the program can be revised to extend later banks or add a diversion-recovery phase to get previously diverted flights home. AFPs work similarly for congested airspace segments, spreading delays across all flights that must cross a constrained corridor. Bottom line, monitor your airline app for an updated EDCT, keep notifications on, and move quickly if an earlier rebooking pops up.

Waiver roundup for the Northeast

Several airlines have activated or reiterated Northeast flexibility. Delta Air Lines published a Northeast U.S. Weather exception for travel on August 13 and August 14 covering BOS, BWI, DCA, EWR, HPN, IAD, JFK, LGA, and PHL, with documented waiver codes for agents. JetBlue issued a same-day Northeast thunderstorms fee-waiver code on its agency portal and posted a systemwide alert noting the largest impacts in the Northeast. Southwest maintains a live travel-advisory page where active waivers publish; check there for city lists tied to tonight's storms. As of press time, United's public travel-alerts page showed no new Northeast waiver beyond prior tech-event flexibility, and American's consumer alerts page did not list a fresh Northeast advisory. Terms vary by airline, ticket type, and rebook window, so verify specific airports and dates.

Analysis

Operational stress in the Northeast this evening stems from classic convective choke points. The New York complex relies on a handful of departure and arrival gates that thread traffic around oceanic airspace and densely populated airways. Thunderstorms over even one or two fixes can cut usable capacity enough to require Ground Delay Programs. AFPs then meter inflows to the region, while SWAP routings push aircraft into longer paths that burn more time and fuel. That triad, GDP plus AFP plus SWAP, explains why seemingly modest storms can translate into 90- to 150-minute holds at JFK, LGA, and EWR. Because the capacity cut is structural, delays propagate to Boston and Philadelphia, and then outward on downline banks nationwide. Airlines respond by trimming turn times, upgauging select flights, and publishing limited-fee-change waivers to spread demand into later flights or alternate airports. For travelers, the best hedge is an earlier departure, longer connections, carry-on only, and proactive rebooking when airline apps surface a better option. If you are already at the gate, ask whether your flight has an EDCT; that time governs when you will actually push.

Final Thoughts

Thunderstorms, reroutes, and Ground Delay Programs will keep pressure on New York flight delays through the evening. If your trip touches John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport (BOS), or Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), build margin, watch your EDCT, and act fast on rebooking offers. Check airline waivers for flexibility and consider alternate airports only if ground transport is practical. With capacity constrained, patience and timely decisions are your best tools to navigate New York flight delays.