Smoke from Canada wildfires could delay your flight. Here's what to do

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires is bringing dirty, hazy air to the Northeast.

It's a hazard not only to public health but also to air travel. And even if you don't live in that part of the country, your flight could be affected.

Air travelers should anticipate delays if they are flying to or from New York City; Washington, D.C.; Newark, New Jersey; Philadelphia; and Charlotte, North Carolina; in the near future, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Several airlines, including American and Southwest — the two biggest carriers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport — issued travel advisories for several Northeast airports and offered to waive change fees for people who are able to reschedule their plans.

Here's how the Canadian wildfire smoke may delay your upcoming flight.

Route cuts: Frontier Airlines is cutting flights between Phoenix and these 3 cities

What's causing the Canadian wildfire flight delays?

Smoke from the Canadian wildfires could potentially disrupt flights nationwide.

In a video posted on Twitter, FAA spokesman Kevin Morris explained why wildfire smoke is hazardous enough to delay flights and why it causes more delays than other hazards like rain or fog.

"When aircraft need to land during periods of poor visibility, they rely on advanced navigation systems both onboard the aircraft and on the ground. These systems work well through water droplets but can be less effective through solid particles such as smoke and ash," he said.

Smoke also requires air traffic controllers and pilots to take additional safety precautions, like keeping greater distances between arriving and departing planes and limiting the types of aircraft that can land based on their navigation equipment, Morris said.

Why the Canada wildfires might cause flight delays in Phoenix

The FAA may deem the conditions from wildfire smoke hazardous enough to force a ground stop or ground delay. That can delay flights nationwide to and from an affected airport.

Ground stops are when planes cannot take off or land at a particular airport. Ground delays are when flights to an airport experiencing adverse conditions must delay their takeoffs.

The FAA on Thursday had a ground delay in effect for two New York City-area airports, LaGuardia Airport and Newark International Airport.

The FAA does not cancel flights; that's up to the pilot in command of the flight, according to the FAA.

How can I change my American Airlines flight?

American Airlines has a travel advisory for the following airports for travel on Friday, June 9:

• Akron / Canton, Ohio (CAK)

• Albany, New York (ALB)

• Allentown, Pennsylvania (ABE)

• Baltimore, Maryland (BWI)

• Bangor, Maine (BGR)

• Boston, Massachusetts (BOS)

• Buffalo, New York (BUF)

• Charleston, West Virginia (CRW)

• Charlottesville, Virginia (CHO)

• Cincinnati, Ohio (CVG)

• Cleveland, Ohio (CLE)

• Columbus, Ohio (CMH)

• Dayton, Ohio (DAY)

• Detroit, Michigan (DTW)

• Erie, Pennsylvania (ERI)

• Flint, Michigan (FNT)

• Grand Rapids, Michigan (GRR)

• Hampton / Newport News, Virginia (PHF)

• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (MDT)

• Hartford, Connecticut (BDL)

• Huntington, West Virginia (HTS)

• Kalamazoo / Battle Creek, Michigan (AZO)

• Lansing, Michigan (LAN)

• Lynchburg, Virginia (LYH)

• Manchester, New Hampshire (MHT)

• Montreal, Canada (YUL)

• New York Kennedy, New York (JFK)

• New York LaGuardia, New York (LGA)

• Newark, New Jersey (EWR)

• Norfolk, Virginia (ORF)

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL)

• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (PIT)

• Providence, Rhode Island (PVD)

• Quebec City, Canada (YQB)

• Richmond, Virginia (RIC)

• Roanoke, Virginia (ROA)

• Rochester, New York (ROC)

• Salisbury / Ocean City, Maryland (SBY)

• South Bend, Indiana (SBN)

• Syracuse, New York (SYR)

• Toronto, Canada (YYZ)

• Washington Dulles, Washington D.C. (IAD)

• Washington Reagan, Washington D.C. (DCA)

• Watertown, New York (ART)

• White Plains / Westchester County, New York (HPN)

• Wilkes-Barre / Scranton, Pennsylvania (AVP)

Passengers to those destinations can reschedule with no change fees if they can fly by June 13, don't change their origin or destination city and rebook in the same cabin. A difference in fare may apply. Changes must be booked by Friday, June 9.

People can use the Find your trip tool on American's website to manage their flights.

How can I change my Southwest Airlines flight?

Southwest Airlines has a travel advisory for the following airports for travel on Friday, June 9:

• Albany, NY (ALB)

• Baltimore, MD (BWI)

• Boston, MA (BOS)

• Buffalo, NY (BUF)

• Cincinnati, OH (CVG)

• Cleveland, OH (CLE)

• Columbus, OH (CMH)

• Detroit, MI (DTW)

• Hartford, CT (BDL)

• Long Island/Islip, NY (ISP)

• Manchester, NH (MHT)

• New York (LaGuardia), NY (LGA)

• Norfolk, VA (ORF)

• Philadelphia, PA (PHL)

• Pittsburgh, PA (PIT)

• Providence, RI (PVD)

• Richmond, VA (RIC)

• Rochester, NY (ROC)

• Syracuse, NY (SYR)

• Washington (Dulles), DC (IAD)

• Washington (Reagan National), DC (DCA)

Southwest does not charge change fees. Passengers with reservations using those airports can rebook in their original class of service within 14 days of their original travel date with no additional charges, as long as their travel is between the original city pairs.

People who booked flights via Southwest's website or mobile app, or by calling Southwest, can rebook online or through the app. You can make changes up until 10 minutes before departure time, according to Southwest's policies on changing and canceling flights.

People with reservations for a flight that's canceled may request a refund.

Pricey flights: International flights are expensive and scarce this summer. Here's how to plan your trip

Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Canadian wildfire flight delays: What to do if your trip is disrupted