QF108 delays out of JFK

[Jason H]

I was on Tuesday the 7th of July flight out of JFK and i noticed the extreme amount of traffic departing at 7-8pm. Last time i flew out of JFK there was 17 aircraft ahead of us for takeoff, as the captain informed us. This time, it took 10 minutes just to push back from the gate, a further 20minutes before we started to taxi, and then a painstakingly long hour taxi to the runway for takeoff. As we took off, the number of aircraft waited to take off behind us was ridiculous! There were two taxi ways parallel full of aircraft, and I lost count at around 36 a/c when, after 2km, we lifted off and turned away. Who knows how many more aircraft were waiting.

My point is this: Can't JFK do something about these ridiculous delays?? Some of those planes in the queue would have had short flights along the east coast, and they would have been in that queue a lot longer than they were in the air. Also, they were using 31L for departures and 31R for arrivals only.

PS. pushback was at 7.50pm, takeoff at 9.10pm

[Owen H]

Jason,

At only 1hr 20 from push to takeoff you did pretty well unfortunately.

Can they do much about it? Not really. The amount of traffic at JFK is huge. The traffic at La Guardia and Newark not much lower.

The airport is space constrained (majorly so) with the 747 barely fitting into tiny alleyways.

Yet, just a few years ago, the airport operators allowed another carrier (low cost) to set up home base there... something I thought was incredibly stupid at the time, and still do.

Can they do much? Short of restricting flights, no.

[Jason H]

Yeah it seems to be a big problem. Jets burn enough fuel as it is in the air, let alone wasting it in queues on the ground. Must cost airlines a fortune, especially because extra fuel is carried to go faster to make up time en route

[Adam.S]

You beat the traffic on Tuesday!
There was also a 'bigger then normal' backlog on Wednesday (July 8th).
I can't imagine what the stress levels would be like for those working in the tower at JFK.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/20...lights-at-jfk/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20...urtle_invasion

[David Ramsay]

I recall many years ago sitting in a United aircraft at JFK listening to the flight deck comms on channel 9 and hearing "you're number 19 in the queue".

We were already about 90 minutes late at that stage due to "late arrival of the inbound aircraft" as JFK was fog bound.

It cost UA 40 hotel rooms at LAX that night for all those that missed connections down under.

[Grahame Hutchison]

This should help things along at JFK ! NOT

Kennedy Airport runway to be closed for 4 months

BY KEITH HERBERT | keith.herbert@newsday.com 9:43 PM EDT, July 9, 2009 Kennedy Airport's busiest runway will be closed for about four months next year as part of a $204-million, three-year makeover, a prospect that airline industry officials are viewing worriedly at the huge airport that ranks near the top nationwide in flight delays.

More than 2.75 miles long, Kennedy's Runway 13R-31L is one of the longest commercial runways in North America - second only in the United States to a runway at Denver International Airport. Last year, it handled more than 143,000 takeoffs and landings.

Aviation and airline officials say delays stemming from the construction are inescapable, though no one can say now how much delays will increase.

"The scope of the project is truly enormous," said William DeCota, director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports. "It provides for the replacement of almost three miles of asphalt pavement".

Newsday.com

[Grahame Hutchison]

Flight delays as JFK airport runway taken over by turtles!

Dozens of randy turtles crawled onto a JFK airport runway Wednesday, delaying flights for over an hour, authorities said.
Port Authority workers rushed to the shell-covered runway about 8:30 a.m. and scooped up 78 diamondback terrapins that had left the waters of Jamaica Bay scouting a spot to breed, said Port Authority spokesman John Kelly.
Pilots from various airlines shared the news with stuck passengers who had to wait up to 90 minutes for their flights to take off so the turtles could land in a safe place.
"Everybody had a good attitude considering it was turtles going off to hatch more turtles," Kelly said.
The animals were piled onto the back of a Port Authority pickup truck and were moved "back into Jamaica Bay," Kelly said.



Thursday July 9th 2009 nydailyews.com

What next ? Goats ....