UPDATE - Canada's Wildfire Smoke Forces Slowdown, Pause Of US Flights - Aviation Admin.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) US air traffic was disrupted Thursday by� smoke pouring into the United States from Canadian wildfires, with airports in New York to New Jersey, Philadelphia and even California reporting both slowdown and pause in flights due to poor visibility, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

"Weather/low visibility ...� causing some arriving flights to be delayed,"� the FAA said in an advisory posted on its website, citing delays as long as nearly two hours at New York's La Guardia airport, New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport as well as at Philadelphia International airport.

La Guardia, Liberty International and San Francisco International in California also experienced "ground stops", the FAA said.

The National business Aviation Association defined a ground stop as "a traffic management initiative (TMI) requiring aircraft that meet specific criteria to remain on the ground at their origination airport.

The GS may be airport specific, related to a geographical area, or equipment related. Ground stops are considered to be the most restrictive of the TMIs."

The FAA advised air travelers to expect flight delays in arrivals, adding that departing flights might also be impacted. "The current smoke condition may impact your travel, please check with your airline to determine the status of your flight," said a common advisory issued by most US airports.

While Canadian officials expanded evacuation orders and asked other countries for help fighting more than 420 fires nationwide, air quality with what the US rates as "hazardous" levels of pollution extended into central New York, with massive columns of "unhealthy" air extending as far as Virginia and Indiana.