East Coast flyers face travel nightmare after weather sparks delays ahead of holiday weekend

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Several major airports up and down the East Coast saw flight delays stranding passengers from New York to Washington, DC as storms rolled into the area Monday evening. 

The nightmare comes as travelers gear up for the holiday weekend.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced an initial ground delay at New York City’s JFK International Airport shortly after 4:00 p.m., with the average departure delay lasting approximately 90 minutes. 

NEWARK AIRPORT PASSENGERS FACE LENGTHY DELAYS DUE TO STAFFING SHORTAGES

LaGuardia Airport is seeing delays of up to three hours, according to the FAA.  (iStock )

Newark Liberty Airport – which has also been plagued with disruptions due to ongoing staffing shortages – was experiencing delays of a whopping four hours due to thunderstorms, with the interruptions expected to impact flights until 2:00 a.m. 

Additionally, LaGuardia Airport was seeing delays of up to three hours, with the FAA implementing a Traffic Management Program for incoming flights. 

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Traveling woes are real with weather delays, luggage issues and airport staffing shortages.  (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

As the storms made their way up the East Coast, Philadelphia International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport initially began experiencing delays, with the bad weather continuing to wreak havoc on flights as they moved through the area. 

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Baggage claim area with conveyor belt and passengers collecting luggage at Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey, October 19, 2024.  ( Smith Collection/Gado)

Philadelphia was seeing delays averaging around two hours, according to the FAA. 

Cumulatively, the five airports logged approximately 600 cancellations and 1,900 delays, according to data from FlightAware. LaGuardia was leading the pack with around 180 flights canceled and 400 delayed, according to the site. 

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Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.