Flights stuck hours on runway in New York
By DPA, IANSWednesday, December 29, 2010
NEW YORK - Passengers on international flights to New York were forced to wait hours on the tarmac in the wake of a weekend snow storm that continues to frustrate travellers, US media reported Wednesday.
At least 31 flights from international destinations were forced to wait more than three hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told USA Today newspaper. A Cathay Pacific flight from Bangkok had it the worst: waiting 12 hours from Monday to Tuesday morning for a gate to open so it could off load its passengers.
A Korean Air flight that landed Tuesday evening was only able to unload after more than nine hours early Wednesday. While a Lufthansa flight from Germany was among the flights from several countries waiting at least six hours, stranding passengers just a few metres from the terminal but with no possibility of exiting the aircraft.
The storm Sunday continues to wreak havoc on the three New York airports after thousands of flights were cancelled, stranding travellers during the busy Christmas flying period.
