Disruptions at JFK airport due to fire: 8-hour flight extended to 16 hours
Terminal 1 was completely closed due to a fire that broke out in the electrical network, causing total chaos at the port in New York and other fields that had to accept unscheduled flights
A power outage at JFK International Airport in New York caused chaos for passengers and disrupted many flights, including one eight-hour flight that was extended to 16 hours.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
International flights at Terminal 1 were grounded on Thursday when a fire broke out and damaged the power grid. Passengers were required to travel to alternative terminals and even other airports, or complete the trip on another day. The disruptions will continue throughout Friday.
On one Air New Zealand flight, passengers were stuck on the plane for 16 hours after the flight was diverted back to Auckland, New Zealand. The airline explained that “the diversion to another US port meant that the plane would remain on the ground for several days, affecting several services and other regular customers.”
Those passengers were required to go through the process of entering a new flight: “We apologize for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience and understanding,” the airline added.
As mentioned, a malfunction in the electrical panel led to “a small isolated fire that was extinguished immediately… The power outage is now affecting the terminal’s ability to receive incoming and outgoing flights,” according to a statement from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
International flights arriving at the field on Thursday were diverted to other East Coast airports, including Newark Liberty International Airport, Boston’s Logan Field and Washington-Dallas International Airport. “Passengers should check with their carriers for flight status before arriving at the airport,” JFK Airport tweeted.
As mentioned, the airport announced that Terminal 1 will remain closed on Friday, and no announcement has yet been made when it will reopen. “We are working with the terminal operator to restore flight activity as quickly as possible.”
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