Flight Cancellations Spike at JFK, LGA, and EWR Amid Severe NYC Storms

Storms are wreaking havoc yet again at New York City airports this week, as travelers flying out of any of the region’s major hubs will need to pack their patience on Tuesday.

According to FlightAware, as of 7 a.m. EST, over 100 flights have been canceled at both John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and another 60 have been scrapped at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) because of Tuesday’s weather. That follows a Monday evening that saw more than 100 flights dropped at LaGuardia, alongside above-average cancellations at JFK and Newark.

Tuesday’s issues again stem from a system of heavy thunderstorms moving across the tri-state area, bringing torrential rain, high winds, and localized flooding.

The severe weather forced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue ground stops and delay programs for all major New York airports on Monday, with another ground delay program issued for LaGuardia on Tuesday morning that could easily expand as more weather moves in.

Because aircraft and flight crews are held at origin points or grounded in New York, the disruptions are creating a severe cascading ripple effect across the broader aviation network. Outbound connections, downstream flights, and late-day arrivals at major hubs like Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, and Charlotte are facing secondary delays and cancellations—even in locations where the weather remains entirely clear.

Almost every major airline has issued flexible change waivers for travel through New York on Tuesday, allowing flyers to change their travel without penalty. Here’s what each one covers:

• Delta Air Lines: Covering travel through JFK, LGA, EWR, and Westchester County Airport (HPN) for July 27 and 28, Delta is waiving change fees and fare differences for passengers rebooking in the same cabin for travel starting on or before July 31. Original tickets must have been purchased on or before July 26.
• United Airlines: United’s waiver covers departures and arrivals at EWR, JFK, LGA, and HPN, alongside some other hubs including Washington-Dulles and Philadelphia. Passengers with tickets purchased on or before July 26 for travel on July 27–28 can rebook for travel through July 30 without paying change fees or fare differences, provided they remain in the same cabin.
• American Airlines: Covering travel through JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN, PHL, DCA, and BWI, American is allowing travelers booked for July 27–28 to reschedule for travel through July 30 without incurring change fees or fare differences, provided the ticket was purchased by July 26 and the origin and destination remain unchanged.
• JetBlue: Covering flights through JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN, and Long Island/Islip (ISP) for travel between July 27 and July 29, JetBlue is waiving change and cancellation fees, as well as fare differences, for rebooked travel through August 1. Passengers whose flights are canceled outright are eligible for a full refund to their original form of payment.