Flight Disruptions Now

July 21, 2026

Reagan, Dulles, BWI, and Boston ground stops extended to 6:30 PM as Newark and LaGuardia push to 7:30 PM and Teterboro holds 11,520 flights

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Every active ground stop in the Northeast was extended this afternoon: Reagan, Dulles, BWI, and Boston now run to 6:30 PM ET, Newark, LaGuardia, and Teterboro to 7:30 PM, with Newark's ground stop capturing 11,837 flights at a four-hour-two-minute average delay and Teterboro holding 11,520 at three hours forty-six minutes, two New Jersey control towers were evacuated for possible tornadic activity, Philadelphia escalated from a delay program to a ground stop at 3:25 PM before its stop lifted at 4:45 PM and its GDP continued to 12:59 AM, GDPs at LaGuardia, Newark, JFK, and Boston run to midnight and beyond, Montreal went into a Nav Canada ground stop as the weather complex reached Canadian airspace, and Tropical Storm Bertha's 5 PM ET advisory extended the warning to Morgan City, Louisiana, and upgraded New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain to a tropical storm warning.

The extensions are the story

The 2:10 PM issue reported nine East Coast airports in simultaneous ground stops with end times clustered around 3 to 3:30 PM. The FAA's 4 PM operations plan (ADVZY 205) confirmed those stops were "all extended due to thunderstorms and throughput concerns," and the individual airport advisories that followed pushed every active stop deeper into the evening.

The current extensions, each signed between 4:38 and 5:09 PM ET:

The maximum delay numbers tell the worst-case story. Individual flights destined to Newark or Teterboro have been assigned EDCTs (expect departure clearance times) up to 11 hours out. The operations plan noted Teterboro was "already experiencing surface constraints due to lack of departure routes" and that ZNY "has all gates but White and OOD closed due to deviations/thunderstorms," with controllers "anticipating possible N90 opening to the west gates within the next hour."

The growth in captured flights since the 2:10 PM issue is stark. Dulles held 2,282 flights then. It holds 12,866 now.

Two New Jersey towers evacuated for possible tornadic activity

The 4 PM operations plan disclosed that CDW (Caldwell) and MMU (Morristown) towers were evacuated due to possible tornadic activity. Both are general aviation reliever airports in northern New Jersey, north and west of Newark. Tower evacuations happen when a tornado sighting or radar-indicated rotation threatens the tower cab, sending controllers below to the building's safe area until the threat passes. The operations plan did not specify whether the towers had reopened.

A weather reroute advisory (ADVZY 213, FCA018 JOT_1) was also issued for departures from the South and West headed to Boston, Newark, JFK, LaGuardia, Philadelphia, and Teterboro, forcing them onto a Joliet routing structure to thread around the convective block.

Ground delay programs run to midnight and beyond

Even where ground stops have lifted, ground delay programs keep metering arrivals into the small hours:

Montreal (CYUL) also went into a Nav Canada ground stop to 6 PM ET (621 flights, 41-minute average) as the Northeast weather complex reached into Canadian airspace.

The FAA's diversion recovery tool is activated for the Northeast region through 12:30 AM ET, covering BOS, JFK, LGA, EWR, TEB, PHL, BWI, IAD, DCA, and their satellites. Airlines should include "DVRSN" in flight plan remarks for diverted aircraft, though diverted flights are not automatically exempt from ground delay programs or ground stops at the destination.

Charlotte staffing reroute and Denver downgraded

The operations plan reduced the Denver ground stop possibility. The plan noted Denver is "only expecting SHRA later," (light rain showers), and "a terminal initiative possibility has been reduced." No Denver terminal program has been issued.

Charlotte did not go into a terminal ground stop, but a ZTL Area staffing constraint triggered a route restriction (ADVZY 222, FCA022) for departures from CAE, CHS, FLO, SRQ, and TPA headed to Charlotte, rerouting them around the Jonze Bank R structure. Staffing triggers remain active for ZNY TMU (to 8 PM ET), ZDC Area 1 (5 PM to 11 PM ET), and F11 TRACON (to midnight).

Tropical Storm Bertha: warning extended to Morgan City, New Orleans upgraded

Bertha's 5 PM ET advisory (NHC Advisory #10, 4 PM CDT) held maximum sustained winds at 60 mph with a 995 mb central pressure. The center was located 105 miles west-southwest of Panama City, Florida, and 105 miles south-southeast of Mobile, Alabama, moving northwest at 6 mph. A turn to the west-northwest and west is expected tonight, with a continued westward motion Wednesday through Friday as Bertha tracks near or along the northern Gulf Coast.

The key changes in this advisory:

A National Ocean Service station at Panama City Beach reported sustained winds of 45 mph with a gust of 57 mph. Little change in strength is expected tonight, with gradual weakening Wednesday through Friday. Rainfall of 2 to 4 inches (isolated 6) is forecast along the central Gulf Coast through Thursday, with possible flash flooding in urban areas.

No Gulf Coast airport has gone into a terminal ground stop. The next NHC intermediate advisory is at 8 PM ET; the next complete advisory at 11 PM ET. Bertha's forecast track takes it toward southeastern Louisiana by Wednesday, then continuing westward toward Texas while weakening, potentially making landfall near the Sabine Pass early Friday.

Rebooking waivers (all active from this morning)

The four major Northeast carriers have waivers in place, all issued earlier today and still current. If your flight is affected, you can change your trip without a change fee (fare differences may apply):

No carrier has issued a Bertha-specific Gulf Coast waiver yet. If you are traveling to or from PNS, ECP, MOB, GPT, MSY, or BTR on Wednesday or Thursday, check your airline's advisory page, as carriers typically post tropical storm waivers once a warning is confirmed for a destination.

That’s the reading for this issue.