Newark Airport struck with ground delay as THOUSANDS of flights are postponed across US as travelers rushed to get home for Christmas

Newark Airport has been hit with ground delays as thousands of people make a mad dash to be with their loved ones on Christmas Eve. 

Nearly 17,000 flights have already been delayed across the United States today, according to FlightAware, as weather on both coasts threatens to derail hundreds of travelers’ holiday schedules. 

Heavy rain and strong winds will soon land on the West Coast, with large parts of California placed under flash flood and tornado warnings this week. 

A fast-moving winter storm was expected to bring a white Christmas across the East Coast and the northern US, while the Midwest was ensnared in fog expected to last through tomorrow. 

The New Jersey airport, which handles about 1,200 daily flights, could see arriving planes delayed by about 43 minutes, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) alert. 

Newark, which serves about 50 carriers, is considered the eighth busiest airport in the US. 

The stoppage was caused by staffing issues and departing flights could also be affected, according to the FAA. 

How long the delays will last remains unknown. Travelers were advised to check their flight status with their respective airlines. 

Massive staffing crises caused by the government shutdown – which ran from October 1 to November 12 – caused ground stoppages in mass across American airports earlier this year. 

More than 13,000 air traffic controllers were required to work without receiving pay during that time. 

This year is predicted to mark a record for holiday travel. 

About 122 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles from where they live during the festive period between December 20 and January 1, according to AAA.

Of those travelers, a little more than 8 million will board domestic flights – such as the ones currently delayed by the stoppage at Newark. 

The New Jersey airport will be one of the locations most impacted by the heavy flow.

Port Authority estimated that roughly 5.7 million passengers will travel through  Newark, John F Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Stewart International Airport, ABC 7 reported.

Newark has already been hit by delays over the last week. 

On Tuesday afternoon, the airport was reported to be experiencing an average delay of 15 minutes due to high flight volume, as well as ice and snow in the area. 

The incoming winter storm could mean between three and six inches of snow by Saturday morning in parts of New York City, Long Island and upstate New York.

Other areas, such as southwestern New York and northeastern Pennsylvania, could get up to more than a foot of snow by the weekend.

Airports around the US also struggled to keep up with the swathes of Christmastime travelers yesterday.

A ground delay was issued at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), while San Diego-Lindbergh Field (SAN) saw average delays of 15 minutes.

On the opposite coast, planes leaving from Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers were also delayed for approximately 15 minutes due to air traffic management.

Departures from Miami International Airport (MIA) were similarly affected.

Last month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the flight delays that have plagued Americans all year. 

He said the Trump administration would ‘delay’ and ‘cancel any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe’, while adding that ‘safety is his top priority.’ 

Duffy added: ‘There is a level of risk when we have a controller doing two jobs instead of one. We manage and look out for it.’ 

This is a breaking news story.