Prepare for Airplane Purgatory

Prepare for Airplane Purgatory highlights how extended tarmac delays are increasingly disrupting U.S. air travel, even after departures begin. In May, United Flight 661 from Newark, New Jersey to Chicago remained on the ground for about seven hours after boarding, as a fast-moving thunderstorm arrived before takeoff. The flight was canceled around midnight. The article says similar situations affected passengers flying to Denver, Rochester, and Milwaukee that same night in Newark for roughly the same duration. Federal data show 342 domestic flights were held on the tarmac for more than three hours in the first five months of the year, raising concerns that 2026 could surpass 2025, which logged more than 700 such delays. United said the flight requested to return to the gate once it became clear departure was unlikely, but “ongoing ground congestion” prolonged the process.