A seagull flies before the lower Manhattan skyline during heavy smog in New York on June 6, 2023.
Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday halted some flights bound for New York’s LaGuardia Airport as smoke from Canada’s wildfires cut visibility in the area.
The FAA said the affected flights were scheduled to fly from the East Coast and upper Midwest to LaGuardia. Visibility was also causing delays at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Smoke drifting South from wildfires in Canada blanketed New York City on Tuesday into Wednesday, tainting the area’s air quality and sending residents indoors. As of noon Wednesday, the city ranked fourth in the world for worst air quality, with an IQAir World Air Quality Index of 158, a level considered unhealthy for all residents.
The partial ground stop at LaGuardia was put in place until at least 2 p.m. ET.
As of about 1:20 p.m. ET, more than 1,300 U.S. flights were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
— CNBC’s Emma Newburger contributed to this report.
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