United passengers say they were stuck on Newark tarmac for 7 hours during severe weather delay

Passengers aboard a United Airlines flight say they were stuck on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport for seven hours before their flight was canceled when severe weather sparked delays at airports along the East Coast on Monday evening.

Flavia Deluczas told WXYZ-TV that she was among dozens of passengers aboard a United flight to Detroit with limited access to food and water.

"I was super thankful that I ate before I got on the plane because I would've been like seven hours without a meal," Deluczas said. "The only thing that kind of freaked me out is that they were running really low on water, so I just feel like if we would have been on there longer, it would have been a no-water situation."

FlightAware data showed 159 total cancelations at Newark Airport on Tuesday, with dozens of flights delayed or canceled at other area airports.

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United Airlines told Fox Business in a statement that a ground stop was issued at Newark "to manage volume and limit congestion" due to severe weather conditions.

"We worked with customers on delayed or canceled flights to get them on their way as soon as possible, and we’ve added a weather waiver to give them maximum flexibility," the statement said. "We also encouraged customers to download our mobile app or visit united.com to check their flight status and view the latest information."

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Deluczas questioned why her flight was moved to the tarmac for takeoff when weather technology likely showed officials that a storm was rolling into the area.

"And if it's that likely that you're not going to be able to take off, then maybe you shouldn't move away from the gate," she said.

Newark Airport was ranked as the worst airport in the U.S. in a new report by AirHelp released this year.

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Of the 34 U.S. airports included in the AirHelp Score report, Newark Liberty International Airport received the lowest score, at 7.25. The airport services tens of millions of passengers each year, with 48.9 million flying through it in 2024, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Fox Business' Aislinn Murphy contributed to this report.