Water Leak at JFK Leads to Delays, Cancellations

In the midst of what will likely be the biggest air travel weekend in two years, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City was forced to cancel or delay almost 300 flights on Saturday and Sunday.

And, no, the airlines and their current struggle with having enough planes and enough staff were not the issue.

This time, what was described by airport officials as a “minor water leak” at the airport’s control tower was major enough to disrupt hundreds of flights. The airport first tweeted about the problem at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Saturday night, July 3.

JFK controllers are operating from a secondary control tower due to a minor water leak in the main facility. Operations at this facility, combined with area weather, require more spacing between aircraft. As such, the FAA is holding most flights destined for JFK from departing.

— Kennedy Airport. Wear a Face Covering. (@JFKairport) July 3, 2021

Hundreds of departing and incoming flights were canceled or delayed at one of the nation’s five biggest airports. It certainly came at an inopportune time for airlines flying out of JFK as the nearly 2.2 million people who flew on Friday, July 2, were the most since 2019.

The leak was contained, and air traffic controllers were able to return to the main tower.

JFK controllers are returning to the primary control tower following an earlier water leak. The airport remains open, however as a result of this, coupled with regional weather conditions, customers may experience residual delays . Contact your airline for your flight’s status.

— Kennedy Airport. Wear a Face Covering. (@JFKairport) July 4, 2021

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