The Federal Aviation Administration slowed flights to and from the New York City area and Philadelphia Wednesday amid reduced visibility caused by wildfire smoke from Canada. More than 100 wildfires are burning across the Canadian border in Quebec and Ottawa and the smoke has drifted into the U.S., particularly in the Northeast.
All flights to LaGuardia Airport in New York have been paused, according to the FAA. Departures have been slowed. John F. Kennedy International Airport is experiencing arrival and departure delays, the airport tweeted, but the FAA has not yet paused or slowed flights from the facility.
Flights to nearby Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey have been slowed, the FAA said. The agency said traffic is also slowed from the East Coast and Midwest bound for Philadelphia International Airport because of the reduced visibility.
"The agency will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions," an FAA official said.
The FAA has slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 7, 2023
The agency will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.
Please monitor https://t.co/smgdqJN3td. #AirQualityAlert
People intending to fly Wednesday have been advised to check with their airlines to determine flight statuses.
There have been 390 delays and 28 cancellations at LaGuardia as of 3:50 p.m., according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. At JFK, there have been 90 delays and six cancellations. There have been 217 delays and 31 cancellations at Newark and 48 delays and two cancellations at Philadelphia International Airport.
A spokesperson for United Airlines said the airline is "monitoring the situation closely and looking out for the safety of our employees who work outside, and adjusting our schedule where needed."
Wind and haze have been reported in New York, Washington and Philadelphia, according to the FAA's air traffic report.
The National Weather Service issued a Marine Dense Smoke Advisory for boaters along parts of New Jersey's coast. The weather agency warned of visibility issues.
Both New York and New Jersey issued air quality health advisories for Wednesday. The advisories showed air quality was "unhealthy" across much of the two states.
Aliza Chasan is a digital producer at 60 Minutes and CBS News.
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