Runway Closure at New York-JFK Could Lead to Delays Through November
While snow and ice are no longer a concern at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, delays are expected to last well into the year due to a paving project. Beginning this week and continuing through November 2019, one of the airport's four runways is "closing for reconstruction to ensure the long-term safety and viability of the runway, which is approaching the end of its useful life," per the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
If you were planning to redirect summer travel from LaGuardia, which is also in the midst of a massive construction project, it appears that JFK will suffer setbacks of its own.
Runway 13L-31R will be closed for repaving that will widen the runway by 33 percent. This particular runway is about 10,000 feet long and handles approximately one-third of arrivals at JFK, which has more than 61 million customers annually and more than 455,000 flights a year. The project will also allow the installation of new lights, signs, cables and navigational aids. Once completed, it will meet new safety standards and will incorporate the latest landing technology. In the interim, it will likely throw a wrench in on-time arrivals across the board.
To help soften the inevitable blow, the Port Authority will have the Airport Operations Center open around the clock for the next eight months as the focal point for communications between terminal operators, airlines, air traffic control, Customs & Border Protection and the Transportation Security Administration.
To make unexpected waits at JFK more tolerable, consider holding a credit card that includes airline lounge access.
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