JFK terminal remains closed 2nd day after fire, freezing dozens of flights

A headache-inducing closure caused by an electrical panel failure at Kennedy Airport’s Terminal 1 dragged into a second day on Friday, officials said, freezing flights in and out of a terminal that serves international travel.

Only “limited operations” are expected at the terminal on Saturday, the Port Authority said.

“The Port Authority continues to work with Terminal 1 s operator to complete repairs, restore power and resume flight operations,” Port Authority spokeswoman Alana Calmi, said in a statement. “Travelers should continue to check with their carriers for flight status before coming to Terminal 1.”

On Thursday, the Port Authority said an electrical panel problem caused a small overnight fire and downed power across Terminal 1.

The chaos in the 11-gate terminal has upended travel plans for thousands of people, forced some incoming international flights to divert toward other destinations and caused dozens of delays and cancellations.

One flight from New Zealand to New York turned around in midair, returning to Auckland in a 16-hour flight that went nowhere, according to

Flightradar24.

Air New Zealand said that landing the plane at another American airport would have forced the aircraft to loiter on the ground for multiple days, hampering other flights. Customers on the flight into New York were rebooked, the airline said.

“We apologize for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience,” Air New Zealand said in a statement.

Passengers remained in limbo in New York. The Port Authority said 39 of 64 scheduled arrivals and departures at Terminal 1 on Friday were canceled.

Thirteen of the scheduled Friday flights ran through other terminals at JFK Airport, and 12 operated through other airports in the region, the Port Authority said.

JFK Airport tweeted Friday morning that it would “provide an update as soon as information is available.”

Terminal 1 opened in 1998 and has been operated by a partnership of several international airlines. The terminal serves Air France, Japan Airlines and Korean Air, among others.

The building is to be torn down as part of a $9.5 billion rebuilding and expansion now underway that will expand the terminal to 23 gates.

AP Frustrated passengers at JFK Airport await news about their flights that were cancelled or diverted due to the electrical fire at Terminal 1. Around 40 flights had been cancelled as of Friday, according to the Port Authority.