The Federal Aviation Administration is forecasting delays equivalent to those seen during the clogged height of summer. The impact for the rest of the country is uncertain, but flight delays in New York can potentially ripple across the air-traffic system.
The longest of JFK's runways — a 14,572-foot strip of asphalt so long it serves as a backup landing site for the space shuttle — will be closed until July 1, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
It will be resurfaced in tougher concrete, taxiways will be reconstructed, and new lighting will be installed, said Susan Baer, aviation director for the Port Authority. The improvements should help reduce some delays at JFK in the future, she said.
Meanwhile, major airlines are cutting flights and building extra time into their schedules, said JetBlue Chief Operating Officer Robert Maruster. The FAA will use new procedures to keep flights moving, said Michael Sammartino, the agency's director of system operations for air traffic.
"Everyone is concerned," Sammartino said. "Nobody is thinking this is going to be a cakewalk, but the preparedness has gone into it to allow for the best service for the customers."
Airline delays have fallen significantly in the past year, but New York's airports are still among the nation's most congested. Last August, JFK had the nation's third-worst record for delays, according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics. About 30% of flights arrived late, and 26% were late departing.
Air-traffic controllers worry that the runway closure could trigger even worse delays. Controller Stephen Abraham said guiding planes on the airport's complex network of taxiways will be far more difficult after the closure.
"We're going to be doing things that we've never done before," said Abraham, chief of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association at JFK's tower.
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