Port Authority estimates LaGuardia Airport runway will reopen Friday amid sinkhole repairs
EAST ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) -- One of LaGuardia Airport's two runways remained closed Thursday as repairs continued on a sinkhole that opened up Wednesday.
The hope is the runway will reopen Friday as travelers try to get to their destinations for Memorial Day weekend.
Fifty-one flights were cancelled in and out of LaGuardia on Thursday.
LaGuardia Airport was forced to cancel 51 flights on Thursday, a day after hundreds of flights were canceled and delayed on Wednesday night.
Passengers landing at LaGuardia Thursday night were glad to be getting here in time for the holiday weekend, even if it's hours late.
"Finally. I've been traveling all day. I've been up since 5 a.m.," said Sheldon Fogarty, a delayed traveler.
On Thursday morning, travelers planning to head out early for Memorial Day weekend were hoping for the best, only to find the runway still closed.
Emergency crews scrambled to repair the hole by opening, but departing flights were directed to use the second runway -- possibly, until at least Friday morning.
Port Authority officials said there was a chance the runway could open sooner, but Thursday came and went without a resolution.
"LaGuardia's Runway 4/22 remains closed as emergency construction and engineering crews complete necessary repairs and proactive inspections of the airfield as quickly and safely as possible," a Port Authority spokesperson said. "We fully expect to be able to reopen the runway before flight operations tomorrow. Pending the results of continued inspections and repairs an earlier reopening is possible."
Although it's not related, this is the same runway of the deadly Air Canada crash in March.
The sinkhole was discovered during an inspection Wednesday morning at 11 on Runway 4-22, immediately taking it out of service and reducing the airport's capacity. Nearly a quarter of flights overall were delayed or canceled.
Air traffic control audio captured pilots reacting with surprise.
"Ground uhh what happened to the uh runway 4 22?" one pilot asked.
"There's a sink hole," an air traffic controller responded.
"Part of the construction project?"
"I think that's safe to assume that."
"Uhh that's a smart idea."
"It looks like they got equipment out there now."
The sinkhole was found during a daily inspection.
A large illuminated X marked the closed runway, signaling to pilots that it was unusable.
Some travelers said the situation was so unusual it was hard to even be angry. "I guess it's like who's there to be mad at?" one person said, laughing.
Not only is the Port Authority working to find any more potential soft spots on the runway, it's investigating what led to the one that opened up on Wednesday and hoping to have the runway back open Friday morning.
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
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