Flights from LaGuardia Airport were delayed due to the near-hazardous air quality Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration delayed several flights to New York due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
The agency called for a ground stop Thursday morning, meaning they required planes that were scheduled to fly to LaGuardia to stay on the ground at their origin airport. The ground stop was lifted and downgraded to a ground delay. The delays are expected to carry into the evening as smoke lingers.
The FAA will continue monitoring the smoke throughout the day and make adjustments to operations as needed.