On Friday, October 31 2025, all flight departures and arrivals at New York City’s major airports were halted as a powerful wind advisory coincided with staffing shortages caused by the federal government shutdown.
Ground Stops at All Three Major Airports
Flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) were held under a ground stop until 7:30 p.m., with an average delay of around one hour and 36 departures per hour prevented. Winds reached up to 45 mph.
Nearby airports — LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) — were also hit, with LGA seeing average delays of two hours (some as long as five), and Newark facing delays up to one hour 40 minutes.
Compounding Factors: Weather and Staffing
The heavy gusts triggered an emergency response from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which cited both weather/wind and reduced staffing due to the 31-day government shutdown as reasons for the large-scale disruption.
According to city officials, the staffing shortfall in air-traffic control centres significantly limited the airports’ ability to absorb the operational strain of the weather event.
Traveler Impact & Advice
Officials warned that ripple-effects would continue into the night, and advised passengers to check flight status directly with airlines before heading to the airport. Many travelers were stuck on tarmacs, delayed in limbo, or forced to reschedule flights amid growing frustration.
Why It Matters
- Operational vulnerability: The incident underscores how the intersection of extreme weather and critical staffing gaps can cripple even major aviation hubs.
- Economic ripple: With hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled, airlines, service providers and passengers face mounting costs.
- Policy implications: The overlap of the shutdown with infrastructure stress throws light on how essential public services are affected by prolonged funding gaps.
What to Watch
- Whether the staffing reductions continue to affect airport operations going forward.
- Additional weather complications over the weekend and how airports respond.
- Measures airlines and airports may adopt to build buffer capacity for such dual-stress scenarios.
