On Wednesday, LaGuardia Airport faced a temporary closure of one of its two main runways after inspectors identified a pavement “depression” near the airstrip. This incident marks the second occurrence within a month where operations on the runway have been halted due to pavement issues at the New York City airport.
The issue was located near Runway 4/22, one of LaGuardia’s primary runways. Officials reported that the depression measures approximately two inches in depth.
“An approximately two-inch depression adjacent to Runway 4/22 was identified during an airfield inspection at LaGuardia Airport,” the airport stated.
The closure was initiated as a precautionary measure, with officials emphasizing that there is no “immediate safety concern.” The proactive step was taken out of an abundance of caution to ensure continued safety at the airport.
FlightAware flight-tracking data indicated that arrivals at LaGuardia were experiencing average delays of 48 minutes, although these delays were reportedly decreasing. Earlier that day, ABC 7 noted there had been 174 flight delays, referencing the same platform.
Runway 4/22 is scheduled to close at 5 p.m. and is expected to remain shut until Thursday morning as repair crews work overnight to conduct additional testing, identify the cause of the issue and perform any necessary stabilization work.
“Our goal is to complete the assessment and any necessary repair work overnight and return the runway to service as soon as it is safe to do so,” the airport said.
During the closure, operations will be shifted to LaGuardia’s remaining main runway, 13/31, beginning at 5 p.m. and are expected to continue until repairs are completed.
LaGuardia said passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for flight status.
The incident marks the second time in less than a month that the same section of pavement has required emergency engineering work.
The runway was previously closed after a sinkhole formed around the Memorial Day travel rush.