Severe storms and a rare November tornado warning triggered widespread flight cancellations, diversions, and multi-hour delays across New York City’s three major airports on Thursday, November 12, 2026. Hundreds of flights across the Northeast were cancelled or delayed, with residual disruptions continuing into Friday morning.
Three Dublin flights were affected
- Inbound New York JFK EI104@04.30
- Inbound New York JFK EI109@07.00
- Inbound New York JFK DL044@08.45
A coastal storm system brought heavy rain, flash flooding, and severe thunderstorms to the New York metropolitan area on Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued a rare tornado warning for southern Queens—directly near John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)—and southwestern Nassau County between 1:14 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. ET.
In response to the thunderstorms and high winds, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented temporary ground stops and arrival holds across JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark Liberty (EWR).
Incoming flights bound for New York City during the worst of the storm were diverted to regional hubs, including Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Connecticut and Boston Logan (BOS).
Departures bound for JFK were held at their origin airports until late Thursday afternoon, while inbound flights experienced average origin delays exceeding four hours and long departure queues on the tarmac.
LaGuardia experienced the earliest ground stops of the afternoon, with gate holds and taxi delays exceeding 90 minutes and causing significant knock-on missed connections.
At Newark Liberty International (EWR). Ground stops and FAA delay programs slowed both arrivals and departures, compounding cancellations across the tri-state airspace.
Because light rain and showers are forecast to continue overnight into Friday, airlines are still working through aircraft and crew repositioning. Passengers can track live airport cancellation totals on FlightAware or check your specific flight number directly with your carrier before heading to the airport. General airspace hold updates are available on the FAA National Airspace System Status portal.
