Passengers in New York face second day of air flight delays and cancellations after collision

NEW YORK: Passengers in New York City are once again facing widespread flight delays and cancellations as operations at LaGuardia Airport remain disrupted following a deadly runway collision.

The incident, which occurred late Sunday night, involved an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 jet operated by Jazz Aviation and a fire truck during landing. The crash killed both pilots and left nine others seriously injured, raising fresh concerns about aviation safety.

For the second consecutive day, the airport has struggled to maintain normal operations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said one of LaGuardia’s two runways is not expected to reopen until Friday, significantly limiting capacity.

According to FlightAware, more than 220 flights, about 20 per cent, had been cancelled by mid-morning Tuesday, with over 200 additional delays reported. Authorities warned that disruptions are likely to continue throughout the day.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into the crash. Chair Jennifer Homendy said officials will review cockpit voice and flight data recorders recovered from the aircraft and interview key personnel, including an air traffic controller involved at the time.

Preliminary findings suggest the controller was handling another emergency during the lead-up to the collision. Audio recordings indicate the controller expressed distress after the incident, saying, “I messed up.”

The crash has reignited concerns about staffing shortages in air traffic control, particularly during overnight shifts. Aviation experts say communication between the aircraft, ground crews, and controllers will be central to determining the cause, noting that such accidents often result from multiple factors.

Air traffic controllers frequently manage several responsibilities at once, and industry sources say it is not uncommon at major airports like LaGuardia for a single controller to handle both ground and tower operations during certain shifts, a practice now likely to face increased scrutiny.