LaGuardia Without Power, Closed Temporarily Due to Massive Transformer Explosion
Shortly after 9pm local time on Thursday, a massive transformer explosion at the Con Edison power plant in Astoria, Queens, lit up the New York City skies -- and social media too, with questions about what happened. Seemingly as a result of the explosion, New York's LaGuardia airport has been left without power, with is currently wrecking havoc on flights in the crowded New York City skies.
Around 9:30pm, FlightRadar24 tracked numerous inbound LGA flights that needed to interrupt their approach and circle:
At 9:40pm, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for LaGuardia, closing the airport until at least 10:30pm. The reason for the ground stop is listed as "Port Authority closed airport for airport inspection."
One of the passengers who landed just before the ground stop reports that their flight has "no communication with the tower."
Photos and videos from inside LaGuardia show only emergency lighting due to the power outage:
Update 10:10pm: According to FlightRadar24, 16 flights bound for LaGuardia have diverted since 9pm.
Update 10:25pm: The last arrival before the ground stop occurred at 9:27pm. The ground stop was cancelled and arrivals resumed at 9:55pm with JetBlue flight 672 from Fort Lauderdale. 11 arrivals have occurred in the 30 minutes after the ground stop cancellation.
Update 10:40pm: LaGuardia Airport's social media presence was silent through much of the situation. In it's first tweet about the situation at 10:22pm, the airport notes that passengers should "allow extra time when coming to the airport."
In a second tweet about the situation, LGA Airport notes that "many flights are departing, some are not."
Update 10:51pm: Inbound passenger Alex Magnin chronicled his experience on Twitter. After being told that "they are waiting to get the backup generators on so we can get off the plane" and that "our pilot told via radio the lights in the terminal not adequate for deplaning," he reported back at 10:30pm that he was "deplaned, cabbed" and that the airport "seems back in working order now."
Update 11:05pm: LaGuardia tweeted at 11:00pm that "power is operational at all terminals." Passengers are encouraged to check with the airline for the status of their flight:
Update 11:23pm: The last LGA takeoff before the ground stop occurred at 9:22pm. No flights departed the airport until JetBlue flight 499 from LGA to Orlando (MCO) departed at 11:00pm. Only one other flight has taken off since then, and it was also JetBlue: flight 1371 to Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
FlightRadar24 lists 87 aircraft on the ground at LaGuardia. 68 of these aircraft are commercial aircraft that have arrived at the airport since 5:30pm.
Update 11:31pm: FlightRadar24 shows eerily-empty skies around LaGuardia at this time:
Update 11:39pm: FlightView's departures board for LGA shows that airlines are still planning to push around 11 more flights between now and 12:45am ET:
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.