New York-area flights delayed as Canada wildfire smoke cuts visibility

Smoke from wildfires successful Canada delayed flights astatine New York-area airports connected Wednesday arsenic haze blanketed the portion and chopped visibility.

The Federal Aviation Administration "slowed postulation to and from the New York City country airports owed to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke," it said successful a statement.

The bureau earlier halted flights bound for New York's LaGuardia Airport. Flights to Newark Liberty International Airport successful New Jersey were slowed.

"The bureau volition set the measurement of postulation to relationship for the rapidly changing conditions," the FAA said.

As of astir 2:10 p.m. ET, much than 1,600 U.S. flights were delayed, according to flight-tracking tract FlightAware.

Flights to LaGuardia were delayed an mean of astir 120 minutes, and flights to Newark were delayed an mean of 82 minutes, according to the FAA.

The bureau did not study delays astatine New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Smoke drifting southbound from wildfires successful Canada covered the New York City country connected Tuesday into Wednesday, tainting aerial prime and sending residents indoors. As of noon Wednesday, the metropolis ranked fourth in the satellite for worst aerial quality, with an IQAir World Air Quality Index of 158, a level considered unhealthy for each residents.

United Airlines said successful a connection it was "monitoring the concern intimately and looking retired for the information of our employees who enactment outside, and adjusting our docket wherever needed."

A spokesperson for Delta Air Lines told CNBC that the bearer has protective instrumentality for staff.

"And for those who enactment connected the tarmac, we're having them travel wrong to wherever breakrooms are successful betwixt craft turns," the spokesperson said. "We are besides watching the forecasts which telephone for rainfall successful NYC successful the days up which should amended the aerial quality."

— CNBC's Emma Newburger contributed to this report.