US FAA pauses flights to New York, Philadelphia over Canada wildfire smoke

WASHINGTON, US - The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday said it has paused flights to Philadelphia and some flights to New York due to reduced visibility from smoke blown in from the wildfires in Canada, reported Sputnik.

"We have paused flights from the Northeast, Ohio, and Mid-Atlantic bound for [LaGuardia Airport]," the FAA said via Twitter.

In a follow-up tweet, it said that departures to Philadelphia International Airport are also grounded due to low visibility.

"Reduced visibility from wildfire smoke will continue to impact air travel today. We will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, DC, Philadelphia, and Charlotte," the FAA stated.

On Wednesday, the FAA advised air travellers to expect flight delays in arrivals, adding that departing flights might also be impacted due to the smoke from Canada’s wildfires.

According to the Canadian Emergency Preparedness Ministry, there are currently over 410 active wildfires that have devastated Canadian forests in the last several weeks from the Canadian province of British Columbia to Nova Scotia.

The smoke has also compromised the air quality of over 100 million US citizens across 18 states. - BERNAMA - SPUTNIK