One Runway Remains Closed at LaGuardia as NTSB Investigates Monday’s Fatal Crash

The day after a deadly crash between an Air Canada passenger jet and a Port Authority fire truck killed two at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), flights are landing and taking off, but things remain far from normal at one of the country’s busiest airports.

After the airport was closed for most of Monday, flights began to resume at 2 p.m. EDT. However, activity remained slow as the airport is using just one of its two runways. According to FlightAware, more than 300 departures were canceled Monday, and about 90 additional flights faced delays.

As of Tuesday morning, LaGuardia continues to operate with only a single runway. In its latest advisory, the FAA indicated that Runway 4/22, the one that the crash took place on, is expected to remain closed through at least Friday, March 28, effectively cutting the airport’s operational capacity in half for the majority of the week.

According to the FAA’s Tuesday morning notice, the Ground Delay Program currently in effect has pushed average arrival delays to four hours and 40 minutes, with some flights facing maximum delays exceeding seven hours. Close to 90 flights from LaGuardia had already been canceled as of 7 a.m. EDT Tuesday, a number that is expected to grow as the day progresses.

Crash Investigation

The crash occurred at 11:45 p.m. local time Sunday. The flight, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, struck an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident with a United Airlines plane on the runway. The pilot and co-pilot of the Air Canada flight were killed, and another 40 people were injured, including a flight attendant who was ejected from the aircraft and two Port Authority officers in the emergency vehicle.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading the investigation. On Tuesday, investigators are primarily processing debris from the crash, which must be cleared before the runway can be inspected for structural damage, and then returned to service.

The NTSB has not yet issued a formal report, but recordings of air traffic control reveal a controller clearing the vehicle to cross the runway before telling it to stop seconds later. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said Monday that the investigation will examine “controller workload,” and tower staffing levels during the overnight shift to see if simultaneous emergencies overwhelmed the system.

Flight Waivers

Because of the delays at LaGuardia, most major airlines have issued travel waivers for passengers booked through the New York City area.

Delta Air Lines is allowing customers scheduled to fly through March 24 to rebook travel by March 27 without paying a fare difference, provided they remain in the same cabin.

American Airlines has issued a similar alert, waiving change fees for travelers scheduled Tuesday and allowing them to reroute through John F. Kennedy International, or Newark Liberty International, at no additional cost.

United Airlines is also offering voluntary changes for those traveling to or from LaGuardia, with the option to reschedule for flights departing as late as March 25. Most airlines are encouraging passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, and carriers are providing automatic rebooking for those whose flights have been canceled due to the reduced runway capacity.

JetBlue is waiving change and cancellation fees, as well as fare differences, for customers traveling through LaGuardia on Tuesday. Passengers booked on impacted flights can rebook for travel through March 27, as long as the new travel is in the same cabin and between the same cities.

Southwest Airlines has also issued a flexible travel policy, allowing passengers to rebook in the same class of service or travel standby within 14 days of their original date of travel without additional charges. The airline is offering full refunds to passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed due to the runway closure.