new york — Severe thunderstorms caused numerous delays and cancellations on Sunday, which was expected to be one of the busiest days of the summer travel season at area airports.
AAA expects 5.7 million people to fly in the days leading up to the Fourth of July, up about 7% from last year, but the three major airports around New York City have had problems as the holiday weekend begins.
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“This is just torture.”
Carlo Tonalezzi was desperately trying to get to Atlanta after waiting six hours at Newark Liberty Airport, only to have his flight canceled.
“This is just torture,” he said. “The rental car, the hotel, everything’s booked, and my head hurts.”
The TSA had expected more passengers to pass through checkpoints on Sunday than any other day, but the severe storm caused widespread flight delays and cancellations.
“I didn’t know anything about the weather until I got here,” said Megan Crabtree of Nashville.
“I’m upset. I have to go home for work,” said Shatal Johnson of Atlanta. “I don’t even have a flight tomorrow.”
Frustrated passengers waited in line for hours trying to rebook. Grace Harris of Atlanta was one of the few who still had a smile on her face.
“I’m just going to stay positive, have dinner, enjoy another day off work and keep moving forward,” Harris said.
Construction of JFK Airport
JFK Airport $19 billion in construction projects underway It will build two new international terminals, as well as a new road network and transport centre.
CBS New York spoke with industry experts who said there’s never a good time for construction and road closures, but the peak summer travel season could be the worst: The airport is already expecting 1 million more passengers this summer than last year.
To help ease crowding and encourage use of public transportation, AirTrain fares will be halved from Monday, July 1 through Labor Day, September 2. Travel will cost $4.25 one way at both Jamaica and Howard Beach stations.
visit Construction.JFKAirport.com To learn more about the impacts of construction.