FAA Lifts Pause on NYC Flights but Airport Delays Continue Amid Wildfire Smoke

The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted its previous halt on flights into some New York City area airports as the orange haze from the Canadian wildfires obscuring the skyline appears to dissipate.

Amid the raging wildfires currently burning in Canada, New York City has been bathed in a noticeable smoky cloud since Tuesday. After the FAA delayed flights into New York City and Philadelphia airports yesterday, CNN Business reports that the agency has lifted that mandate for LaGuardia in Queens, New York. While flights are now able to land, flights out of LaGuardia and Newark International Airport are being delayed. Flights departing Philadelphia International Airport are also facing delays—the FAA told the outlet the average delay is about 30 minutes.

“The FAA has slowed traffic to and from the New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” the administration told CNN. “The agency will adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.”

The transportation troubles are the result of the blanket of wildfire smoke that settled on New York City earlier this week. The smoke drastically reduced visibility and tainted the metropolitan area’s air quality—New York City earned the title of the worst air quality in the world yesterday, according to NBC News. The cloud of Blade Runner-esque haze has lifted dramatically in the last 24 hours, and, at the same time, the United States has dispatched hundreds of firefighters to battles the Canadian blaze.

This article is part of a developing story. Our writers and editors will be updating this page as new information is released. Please check back again in a few minutes to see the latest updates. Meanwhile, if you want more news coverage, check out our tech, science, or io9 front pages. And you can always see the most recent Gizmodo news stories at gizmodo.com/latest.

The Federal Aviation Administration has lifted its previous halt on flights into some New York City area airports as the orange haze from the Canadian wildfires obscuring the skyline appears to dissipate.

Amid the raging wildfires currently burning in Canada, New York City has been bathed in a noticeable smoky cloud since Tuesday. After the FAA delayed flights into New York City and Philadelphia airports yesterday, CNN Business reports that the agency has lifted that mandate for LaGuardia in Queens, New York. While flights are now able to land, flights out of LaGuardia and Newark International Airport are being delayed. Flights departing Philadelphia International Airport are also facing delays—the FAA told the outlet the average delay is about 30 minutes.

“The FAA has slowed traffic to and from the New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” the administration told CNN. “The agency will adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.”

The transportation troubles are the result of the blanket of wildfire smoke that settled on New York City earlier this week. The smoke drastically reduced visibility and tainted the metropolitan area’s air quality—New York City earned the title of the worst air quality in the world yesterday, according to NBC News. The cloud of Blade Runner-esque haze has lifted dramatically in the last 24 hours, and, at the same time, the United States has dispatched hundreds of firefighters to battles the Canadian blaze.

This article is part of a developing story. Our writers and editors will be updating this page as new information is released. Please check back again in a few minutes to see the latest updates. Meanwhile, if you want more news coverage, check out our tech, science, or io9 front pages. And you can always see the most recent Gizmodo news stories at gizmodo.com/latest.