NEW YORK — International flights at John F. Kennedy International Airport were canceled for the second straight day on Friday due to a power outage.
So far as of Friday, at least 44 flights have been delayed and 30 canceled, down from at least 200 delays and 32 cancellations on Thursday.
CBS2 learned that a damaged switchboard was repaired, allowing for a partial restoration of power, but not enough to fully restore Terminal 1 operations. Sources said full restoration will require a new electrical transformer, which is currently on the way from Georgia.
While many flights have been cancelled, others have been diverted to Terminal 4. Some travelers were even bussed into New Jersey to catch new flights.
“You just have to roll the punches. It’s an unfortunate situation but we’re making the best of it and the airline is trying to accommodate us by moving us to Newark,” Don Corrao said.
Check out John Dias’ report
Power has been partially restored to JFK’s Terminal 1, sources say
The problem started with a minor electrical problem and fire early Thursday morning in a utility room in Terminal 1. It quickly grew into a problem affecting the entire system.
The terminal could not accept incoming and outgoing flights. Initially, passengers were stuck.
“It feels like it’s a movie, it’s not real. I’m still waiting for them to say, ‘It’s a joke!'” said Isabella Bivas, a student at Tuckahoe High School.
“Honestly, it’s just awful that the entire terminal is closed,” said Jackson Snyder, another Tuckahoe High student.
Jamil Rahman led a pilgrimage to Mecca and says his group is heartbroken.
“The airline knows nothing. We don’t know anything,” he said. “This is the busiest city in the world, why don’t you have a plan for that?”
JFK Terminal 1 will be closed on 02/17. closed due to electrical problems as the port authority continues to work with the terminal operator to restore flight operations as soon as possible. Travelers should check with their airline for flight status before arriving at the airport.
— John F. Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) February 17, 2023
The Port Authority announced: “JFK Terminal 1 will open on 2/17. remain closed due to electrical issues as the port authority continues to work with the terminal operator to restore flight operations as soon as possible. Travelers should check with their airlines for flight status prior to arrival to the airport.”
But not everyone knew how to do it.
“People arrive at the airport without being informed beforehand that their flights have been cancelled,” said one traveler.
The problems weren’t just local. An Air New Zealand flight already en route eight hours after its trip to JFK had to make a U-turn and return to New Zealand because there was no landing pad.
In addition to Air New Zealand, several major airlines operate from Terminal 1, including Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Lufthansa and Italy’s ITA Airways. Individual airlines can be checked here.
The advice of travel smart website The Points Guy: stay up to date.
“We really encourage travelers to download their airline’s app, make sure they’re subscribed to push notifications, check websites like Flight Aware to know where your plane is, even if you’re not immediately affected by the Terminal 1 outage are,” said Melanie Lieberman, Global Features Managing Editor at The Points Guy.
A group of students from St. Anthony High School who were heading to Rome on Thursday to sing for the Pope ended up getting there on a flight from Newark.
“They were excited even though it felt like days of torture,” said Brother Joshua DiMauro of St. Anthony’s High School.
The Port Authority now expects restricted operations to resume on Saturday and will continue a thorough investigation into what happened to the private company that operates Terminal 1.
The Port Authority also notes that Terminal 1 accounts for only 5% of all scheduled passenger flights from JFK.
John Dias