NEW YORK (AP/1010 WINS) — A power outage at John F. Kennedy International Airport stretched into a second day Friday, stranding passengers and forcing flights to be canceled or diverted to other airports.
The airport operators said in a tweet late Thursday that Terminal 1, the international terminal, would remain closed Friday “due to electrical issues." They advised travelers to check with their carriers for flight status before coming to the airport.
The outage was caused by an electrical panel failure that led to a small fire, airport operators said. The fire was quickly extinguished.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs New York's major airports, said it was working to accommodate affected flights at other terminals. Some planes were forced to return to their points of origin.
The agency did not provide any estimate of how many flights were canceled or diverted, but thousands of travelers were likely affected.
No update on the outage was provided Friday by the Port Authority, but the FAA's website indicated the closure could last into Saturday.
Yahayra Hunt and her husband were stuck in a hotel near the airport Friday after their flight to Rome was canceled Thursday. They’re part of a group of 16 people who booked an 11-day tour to Italy and Israel.
“We actually have another agent trying to see if we can find another airport to fly out of,” she said. “It’s a nightmare.”
Hunt, 46, said they would like to leave the hotel and see the city as they wait. But they don’t want to risk missing a rescheduled flight.
“Being stuck in a hotel during your vacation is not fair at all,” said Hunt, who owns a beauty salon in North Carolina.
Some planes were forced to return to their points of origin.
An Air New Zealand flight was two-thirds of the way across the Pacific Ocean when it had to make a U-turn and head back to Auckland. The flight landed back in New Zealand after more than 16 hours in the air.
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