Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight reported being stranded on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport for about seven hours before their flight was ultimately cancelled due to severe weather conditions affecting the East Coast on Monday evening.
Flavia Delzzas shared with WXYZ-TV that she was one of the many passengers on a flight headed to Detroit, facing limited access to food and water. “It was about seven hours without food, so I was really thankful I had eaten before boarding,” she remarked. “What surprised me was how quickly they ran out of water; I mean, if we had been stuck there any longer, it might’ve turned into a real problem.”
FlightAware indicated that there were 159 cancellations at Newark Airport the following Tuesday, with numerous delays and cancellations reported at nearby airports as well.
United Airlines explained that a ground stop was implemented to “manage volume and limit crowding” because of the harsh weather conditions. They noted that they worked with affected customers on rescheduling or cancelling flights and tried to address the situation as promptly as possible. “A weather exemption was added to improve flexibility,” the airline mentioned. “We recommend customers check flight status through our mobile app or United.com for the latest updates.”
Fox Business reached out to United Airlines for further comments, but there was no immediate response.
Delzzas expressed her confusion about why their flight had been moved to the tarmac for takeoff, suggesting that weather technology should have informed officials about the incoming storm. “If you can’t take off, then you probably shouldn’t have left the gate,” she noted.
According to a recent report by Airhelp, Newark Airport ranks among the worst airports in the United States. Of the 34 US airports analyzed in the report, Newark Liberty International scored the lowest, with a score of 7.25. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported that the airport handles tens of millions of passengers annually, with about 48.9 million travelers in 2024.
