Waiting ‘game’ at the airport
TRAVELERS AT Kennedy Airport were still enduring delays Monday as officials vowed to “hold all parties accountable” for a broken water pipe that added to the winter woes.
Ahead of an expected evening storm, 116 flights were canceled at the airport and 98 others were delayed out of 600 total scheduled flights, the Port Authority said.
Rick Cotton, the agency’s executive director, blamed a communication breakdown between the private operator of Terminal 4 and airlines for creating the avalanche of delays and cancellations. The water pipe that broke Sunday made the ordeal even worse.
“What occurred this weekend was completely and totally unacceptable,” Cotton said.
“We intend to identify what went wrong. Why it went wrong. Changes must be made, and we will make them.”
The investigation will examine why the water pipe wasn’t weatherproofed.
Javier Gevara, 40, stayed optimistic while killing time at the troubled terminal.
He and his family’s Monday morning flight back to Honduras was delayed until 4 a.m. on Tuesday.
“At least they got rid of all the water. I was worried this morning, but it looks much better now,” he said as his wife and 10-year-old son slept in the airport. “We don't mind waiting as long as we get home.”