Severe thunderstorms swept the New York City tri-state area Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Flash Flood Warning for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Hudson County, N.J., through 7:15 p.m. ET and a Tornado Watch for all five boroughs until 9 p.m. ET — triggering FAA ground stops at all three New York-area airports and canceling more than 630 flights, according to FlightAware tracking data. Four major airlines have issued fee-free travel waivers that allow affected passengers to rebook at no charge, and travelers who don’t use them risk paying full change fees that the airlines are currently waiving by default.
More Than 630 NYC Flights Already Canceled — and the Day Is Not Over
As of 7 a.m. ET Tuesday, LaGuardia Airport had 145 flights canceled — 27 percent of its scheduled departures — while JFK stood at 110 cancellations (16 percent) and Newark at 57 (10 percent), according to FlightAware tracking data cited by ABC7. The FAA issued ground stops at all three airports that afternoon as the first line of storms moved through, and nationwide disruptions surpassed more than 6,500 delayed and canceled flights by late afternoon. The cascading effect means passengers flying into or out of cities with no local weather problems are still facing delays if their plane was scheduled to arrive from a New York airport.
The storms struck a system already under strain. Saturday’s separate round of storms canceled more than 1,000 flights at the same three airports on July 19, leaving aircraft and crews only partially repositioned going into Tuesday.
What the Active Airline Waivers Actually Cover — and When They Expire
Four carriers have waivers in effect that waive change fees and, in most cases, fare differences for affected travelers. Passengers should act now: alternative flights fill quickly once waivers go live and waiver windows begin closing as early as Wednesday for some airlines.
American Airlines has a waiver covering travel July 20 through 22 to, from, or through LaGuardia, JFK, Newark, and a dozen additional Northeast hubs including Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan, and White Plains. The waiver applies to Basic Economy tickets. Changes must be made by July 22, and rebooked travel may occur through July 24…