Canada wildfire smoke affecting flights to and from NYC

CITYnews halifax \ By Michael Talbot

The Federal Aviation Administration says it has slowed traffic to and from New York City airports due to “reduced visibility” caused by wildfires that continue to rage in parts of Canada.

In a tweet the FAA said it “will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.”

The FAA has slowed traffic to and from New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke.

The agency will continue to adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.

Please monitor https://t.co/smgdqJN3td. #AirQualityAlert

— The FAA (@FAANews) June 7, 2023

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority, which operates Toronto’s Pearson Airport, says there are currently no service impacts related to the smoke.

“There is currently no impact to operations at Pearson and we are not anticipating an impact over the next 48 hours, when air quality is forecast to improve,” said GTAA spokesperson Stephanie Smyth.

“We are keeping our teams and the community aware of Environment Canada’s warnings and monitoring the work airside in case conditions worsen.”

Ports Toronto, which runs Billy Bishop Airport, also confirmed that “operations are normal.”

Some Greater Toronto and Hamilton area (GTHA) schools announced they would hold indoor recesses on Wednesday due to the poor forecast air quality index values.

The Toronto Blue Jays also said the Rogers Centre dome will be closed for their home game on Wednesday due to the worsening air quality.

A Special Air Quality Statement remains in place for Toronto and Hamilton, along with areas well to the north.

“Smoke plumes from forest fires in Quebec and northeastern Ontario have resulted in deteriorated air quality,” Canada’s weather agency noted.