Power Outage At JFK Airport's Terminal 1 Continues To Cause Problems For Travelers

NEW YORK — Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport was still not operational late Thursday night after a fire caused a power outage early in the morning.

It has led to all sorts of delays and cancellations, with some travelers being bussed to different terminals and others to different airports.

The Port Authority has been working with passengers who were scheduled to depart from Terminal 1. Some were taken to Terminal 4 by bus.

“It feels like a movie, like it’s not real. I’m still waiting for them to say it’s a joke,” said student Isabella Bivas.

Due to a power cut at Terminal 1, some flights may arrive and depart from different terminals. Travelers are urged to check with their airlines for flight status.
— John F. Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) February 16, 2023

Unfortunately, what happened on Thursday is no laughing matter. Passengers exiting Terminal 1 were told their flights were cancelled.

“I was surprised that we were informed so close to the flight as the fire was last night. So had I known sooner I would have tried booking a flight from Newark or found another way to get across the Atlantic,” said traveler John Helyar.

The FDNY said there was a fire from a small paint can in a utility room around 3 a.m. The Port Authority said an overnight electrical panel failure caused the fire. There were no arrivals or departures to Terminal 1 for the remainder of the day.

“Honestly, it’s just awful that the entire terminal is being shut down,” said student Jackson Snyder.

There were also problems in the air. An Air New Zealand flight that was already eight hours en route to JFK had to make a U-turn and return to New Zealand.

CBS2 saw a number of passengers being taken by bus to Stewart International Airport in Orange County to board their flight to London, which was seven hours late.

“It won’t ruin my vacation. I’ll still have a good time,” said traveler Jeffrey Fisher.

Other travelers said they didn’t know when they would get off.

“I just do not know. It looks like we’ll get a hotel if we have to stay the night and find out,” said Ana Larochelle.

Travelers are urged to check with their transport companies.

Alecia Reid

Alecia Reid is an award-winning, Emmy-nominated reporter for CBS New York. She is an advocate for sustainability and social justice; passionate about giving a voice to people who might not otherwise be able to tell their stories.