LGA Runway Depression
LaGuardia Airport Closes Major Runway Over Two-Inch Depression Precautionarily
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Key Points
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The Port Authority said the 5 p.m. closure was triggered “out of an abundance of caution,” and noted Runway 4/22 is “one of only two at LaGuardia.”
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For the earlier May sinkhole, the runway shut on the morning of May 20 and did not reopen until the evening of May 22—by which point “more than 1,000 flights” were delayed or cancelled, Newsday reported.
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The March disruption followed a “fatal” March 22 collision between “Air Canada Flight 8646 out of Montreal” and a “Port Authority fire truck,” after which the runway was closed for “more than three full days,” according to Newsday.
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In its statement, the Port Authority described the closure using the exact phrasing: “There is no immediate safety concern and the runway is being closed proactively,” CBS News reported.
LaGuardia Airport closed Runway 4/22 at 5 p.m. on June 17 after inspectors found a two-inch depression near the tarmac. The Port Authority said the shutdown was precautionary, stating "there is no immediate safety concern and the runway is being closed proactively," CBS News reported.
It is the third time in three months that Runway 4/22 has shut down — one of only two runways at LaGuardia. All flight operations shifted to Runway 13/31 during the closure, and the Port Authority aimed to reopen 4/22 by mid-morning the next day. Travelers were told to check with their airlines for delays and cancellations.
Third Strike: A Season of Runway Failures
The June 17 depression follows two earlier shutdowns of the same runway. On March 22, Air Canada Flight 8646 out of Montreal collided with a Port Authority fire truck on Runway 4/22. The crash was fatal and forced a closure lasting more than three full days, according to Newsday.
Then, on the morning of May 20, a sinkhole appeared on Runway 4/22 during a routine check. The runway did not reopen until the evening of May 22 — a 60-hour window in which more than 1,000 flights were delayed or cancelled, Newsday reported. Now, less than a month later, the same runway is down again.
A Two-Inch Dip With Big Consequences
A two-inch depression may sound small. But at an airport built largely on reclaimed marshland, it can signal something serious underneath. A small surface dip can point to "piping" — the underground erosion of soil — which often grows into a full sinkhole, as seen in May, Newsday noted.
Under FAA safety rules, any soft or uneven ground next to a runway must be kept safe in case a plane veers off the tarmac. Overnight crews planned to run tests, identify the cause, and do possible stabilization work before the runway could reopen, PIX11 reported.
One Runway Down Means Half the Airport Gone
LaGuardia has just two runways, and they intersect. When one closes, the airport loses roughly half its capacity. Unlike JFK or Newark, LaGuardia has no backup configuration. Every arrival and departure during the June 17 evening rush had to use Runway 13/31 alone, according to CBS News.
The 5 p.m. closure hit at the worst possible time — the start of the evening commuter peak for flights to Washington, Boston, and Chicago. Delta and American Airlines, both major LaGuardia carriers, faced last-minute cancellations and scrambled to reposition crews, Rolling Out reported.
Port Authority Defends Record, Critics Push for Real Fixes
The Port Authority says catching the depression early is proof their inspection system works. Closing the runway "out of an abundance of caution" is the right call, officials argued, pointing to the March fatal collision as a reason for their stricter, zero-tolerance approach to surface anomalies.
Critics see it differently. Three shutdowns of the same runway in 90 days — one fatal crash, one sinkhole, now a depression — suggest overnight patch jobs are not enough. Analysts say the Port Authority may soon have to consider a full reconstruction of Runway 4/22, a move that could mean a months-long closure and sweeping disruptions across the entire Northeast, Newsday reported.
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